abate

abate · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰedʰ-“to dig; to stab”
2. Latin · derived frombattere
3. Latin · derived fromab-
4. Late Latin · derived fromabbattere“to bring down, take down; to suppress; to debase (currency)”
5. Old French · derived fromabatre
6. Middle French · derived fromabattre
7. Anglo-Norman · derived fromabater
8. Middle English · inherited fromabaten“to demolish, knock down; to defeat, strike down; to strike or take down (a sail); to throw down; to bow dejectedly or submissively; to be dejected; to stop; to defeat, humiliate; to repeal (a law); to dismiss or quash (a lawsuit); to lessen, reduce; to injure, impair; to appease; to decline, grow less; to deduct, subtract; to make one’s way; attack (an enemy); (law) to enter or intrude upon (someone’s property); of a hawk: to beat or flap the wings”
9. Latin · derived frombattere
10. Late Latin · derived fromabbattere
11. Anglo-Norman · derived fromabatre
12. Middle English · inherited fromabaten
13. English todayabate

From Middle English abaten, from Anglo-Norman abatre, from Late Latin abbattere, from Latin battere. detailed etymology, sense derivation, and cognates The verb is derived from Middle English abaten (“to demolish, knock down; to defeat, strike down; to strike or take down (a sail); to throw down; to bow dejectedly or submissively; to be dejected; to stop; to defeat, humiliate; to repeal (a law); to dismiss or quash (a lawsuit); to lessen, reduce; to injure, impair; to appease; to decline, grow less; to deduct, subtract; to make one’s way; attack (an enemy); (law) to enter or intrude upon (someone’s property); of a hawk: to beat or flap the wings”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman abater, abatier, abatre, abbatre, Middle French abattre, abatre, abattre, Old French abatre, abattre (“to demolish, knock down; to bring down, cut down; to lessen, reduce; to suppress; to stop; to discourage; to impoverish, ruin; to conquer; to overthrow; to kill; to remove (money) from circulation; (law) to annul”), from Late Latin abbattere (“to bring down, take down; to suppress; to debase (currency)”), from Latin ab- (prefix meaning ‘away; from; away from’) + Latin battere, from older battuere (“to beat, hit; to beat up; to fight”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to dig; to stab”)). The noun is derived from the verb.

abate · verb²

1. Latin · derived frombattere
2. Old French · derived frombatre“to beat, hit, strike”
3. Old French · derived fromem-
4. Middle French · derived fromembatre
5. Anglo-Norman · derived fromabatre
6. English todayabate

From Anglo-Norman abatre, probably an alteration of Anglo-Norman and Middle French embatre, enbatre (“to drive or rush into; to enter into a tenement without permission”) (compare Late Latin abatare), from Middle French, Old French em-, en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + Middle French, Old French batre (“to beat, hit, strike”) (from Latin battere, battuere, the present active infinitive of battuō (“to beat, hit; to beat up; to fight”); see further at etymology 1). The English word was probably also influenced by the verb abate.

abate · noun³

1. Proto-Semitic · derived from*ʔabw-“father”
2. Aramaic · derived fromאַבָּא“father; ancestor; teacher; chief, leader; author, originator”
3. Ancient Greek · derived fromἀββᾶς
4. Latin · derived fromabbātem
5. Italian · borrowed fromabate“abbot”
6. English todayabate

Borrowed from Italian abate (“abbot”), from Latin abbātem, the accusative singular of abbās (“abbot”), from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), a variant of ἀββᾱ (abbā, “father; title of respect for an abbot”), from Aramaic אַבָּא (’abbā, “father; ancestor; teacher; chief, leader; author, originator”), from Proto-Semitic *ʔabw- (“father”), ultimately imitative of a child’s word for “father”. The English word is a doublet of abbot.

abate · adjective⁴

Unknown

Abate · proper noun⁵

1. Italian · borrowed fromAbate
2. English todayAbate

Borrowed from Italian Abate.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate.
• from 14th c. To reduce (something) in amount or size.
• from 14th c. To cut away or hammer down (material from metalwork, a sculpture, etc.) in such a way as to leave a figure in relief.
• from mid 14th c. To lower (something) in price or value.
• from early 15th c. To demolish or level to the ground (a building or other structure).
• from late 16th c. To give no consideration to (something); to treat as an exception.
• from mid 16th c. To dull (an edge, point, etc.); to blunt.
• from late 15th c. To make (a writ or other legal document) void; to nullify.