change

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*kh₂em-?
2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ḱh₂embos
3. Proto-Celtic*kambos
4. Gaulishcambion
5. Latincambium
6. Late Latincambiō
7. Late Latincambiāre
8. Old Frenchchangier
9. Anglo-Normanchaunger
10. Middle Englishchaungen
11. English todaychange

From Middle English changen, chaungen, from Old French changier, from Late Latin cambiāre, from Latin cambīre (“to exchange, barter”), derived from the noun cambium (“change”) (whence was loaned the English doublet cambium), from Gaulish cambion, earlier *kambyom (“change”), related to Proto-Celtic *kambos (“twisted, crooked”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱh₂(e)mbos, *(s)kh₂(e)mbos (“crooked”). More at skimp, scam; see also Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em-. Cognate with Italian cambiare, Portuguese cambiar, Romanian schimba, Sicilian canciari, Spanish cambiar. Used in English since the 13th century. Displaced Middle English wenden, from wendan (“to turn, change”) (whence wend). The noun is from Middle English change, chaunge, from Old French change, from the verb changier. See also exchange. Possibly related from the same source is Old English gombe.

Words from the same roots