code

The story

1. Latincaudex
2. Latincōdex
3. Old Frenchcode
4. Middle Englishcode
5. English todaycode

From Middle English code (“system of law”), from Old French code (“system of law”), from Latin cōdex, later form of caudex (“the stock or stem of a tree, a board or tablet of wood smeared over with wax, on which the ancients originally wrote; hence, a book, a writing.”). Doublet of codex. Verb etymology 1, verb sense 7 is an ellipsis of code blue (“medical emergency”).

Words from the same roots