Etymology Map
Back to all words

Vote

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a formal expression of choice in an election

Where does the word "vote" come from? It comes from Latin votum, passing through Scots before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
votum
Latin · ancient
"vow, wish"
the same root as 'vow'
2
Stage 2 of 3
vote
Scots · 1400s
"a formal wish or decision"
Latin-trained Scottish lawyers and churchmen borrowed it directly from 'votum'
3
Stage 3 of 3
vote
English · 1400s
"a wish; a vote"
spread into English in the 1500s, keeping the Scottish political sense
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Vote’s story begins in Latin: votum meant “vow, wish.” The same root as 'vow'. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in Scots as vote. Latin-trained Scottish lawyers and churchmen borrowed it directly from 'votum'. It reached English by 1400s as vote. Spread into English in the 1500s, keeping the Scottish political sense. Today, vote means a formal expression of choice in an election.