cancel

The story

1. Latin · derived fromcancellō“to make resemble a lattice”
2. Old French · derived fromcanceler
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromcanceler“to cross out with lines”
4. Middle English · inherited fromcancellen
5. English todaycancel

From Middle English cancellen, from Anglo-Norman canceler (“to cross out with lines”) (modern French chanceler (“to stagger, sway”)), from Old French canceler, from Latin cancellō (“to make resemble a lattice”), from cancellus (“a railing or lattice”), diminutive of cancer (“a lattice”).