Etymology Map
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Sample

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a small part showing what the whole is like

Where does the word "sample" come from? It comes from Latin exemplum, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
exemplum
Latin · ancient
"example"
from 'eximere', to take out, the root of 'example'
2
Stage 2 of 3
essample
Old French · medieval
"example"
Anglo-French shortened it
3
Stage 3 of 3
sample
English · 1200s
"example"
musical 'sampling' dates from the 1980s
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Read the full story

Sample’s story begins in Latin: exemplum meant “example.” From 'eximere', to take out, the root of 'example'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as essample. Anglo-French shortened it. It reached English by 1200s as sample. Musical 'sampling' dates from the 1980s. Today, sample means a small part showing what the whole is like.