Etymology Map
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Vanish

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to disappear suddenly

Where does the word "vanish" come from? It comes from Latin evanescere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
evanescere
Latin · ancient
"to fade away"
'ex-', out, plus 'vanescere', to fade, from 'vanus', empty
2
Stage 2 of 3
esvanir
Old French · medieval
"to disappear"
its stem 'esvaniss-' gave the English form
3
Stage 3 of 3
vanish
English · 1300s
"to disappear"
'vanishing point' dates from the 1700s
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Read the full story

Vanish’s story begins in Latin: evanescere meant “to fade away.” 'ex-', out, plus 'vanescere', to fade, from 'vanus', empty. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as esvanir. Its stem 'esvaniss-' gave the English form. It reached English by 1300s as vanish. 'vanishing point' dates from the 1700s. Today, vanish means to disappear suddenly.