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Where does the word "take" come from? It comes from Old Norse taka, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).
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Where does the word "take" come from? It comes from Old Norse taka, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).
Take’s story begins in Old Norse: taka meant “to grasp, to seize.” Replaced Old English 'niman', which survives only in the word 'nimble'. It reached English by 1200s as take. Settled as the standard English word for grasping or acquiring something. Today, take means to reach out and take hold of, acquire, or remove something.
- Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval taka "to grasp, to seize", replaced Old English 'niman', which survives only in the word 'nimble'.
- Stage 2 · English · 1200s take "to reach out and hold or acquire something", settled as the standard English word for grasping or acquiring something.