address

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
2. Proto-Italic*ad
3. Proto-Italic*ad-
4. Latinad-
5. Old Frencha-
6. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
7. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
8. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
9. Proto-Italic*dis-
10. Latindīs-
11. Proto-Indo-European*h₃reǵ-
12. Proto-Indo-European*h₃reǵtós
13. Proto-Italic*rektos
14. Latinrēctus
15. Latindīrēctus
16. Vulgar Latin*dīrēctiāre
17. Old Frenchdrecier
18. Old Frenchadrecier
19. Middle Englishadressen
20. English todayaddress

From Middle English adressen (“to raise erect, adorn”), from Old French adrecier (“to straighten, address”) (modern French adresser), from Proto-Romance *addīrēctiāre, from ad- (“to; towards”) + *dīrēctiāre (“to guide; to direct”), from Latin dīrēctus (“straight; right”), from dīrigō (“to lay straight; to direct”), itself from regō (“to govern, to rule”). Cognate with Spanish aderezar (“to garnish; dress (food); to add spices”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 15th–17th c. Guidance; help.
• from 16th c. A polite approach made to another person, especially of a romantic nature; an amorous advance.
• from 16th c. A manner of speaking or writing to another; language, style.
• from 17th c. A formal approach to a sovereign or head of state, especially an official appeal or petition.
• from 17th c. A response given by each of the Houses of Parliament to the sovereign's speech at the opening of Parliament.
• from 17th c. An act of addressing oneself to a person or group; a discourse or speech, or a record of this.
• from 17th c. A description of the location of a property, usually with at least a street name and number, name of a town, and now also a postal code; such a description as superscribed for direction on an envelope or letter.
• from 19th c. The location of a property.