transfer

Where does the word "transfer" come from? It comes from Latin transferre, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Transfer’s story begins in Latin: transferre meant “to carry across.” To carry across, from trans- (across) and ferre (to carry). It reached English by 1400s as transfer. Settled as the English word for moving something from one place to another. Today, transfer means to move or pass something from one place, person, or condition to another.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient transferre "to carry across", to carry across, from trans- (across) and ferre (to carry).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s transfer "to move something from one place, person, or use to another", settled as the English word for moving something from one place to another.