Etymology

design

de·sign
D2E1S1I1G2N1

Today it means: A specification of an object or process, referring to requirements to be satisfied and thus conditions to be met for them to solve a problem. Full definition →

First used 17th c.Middle English designen ← Old French designer ← Latin designō
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*sek-?
  7. Proto-Italic*segnom
  8. Proto-Italic*segnāō
  9. Latinsignō
  10. Latindesignō
  11. Old Frenchdesigner
  12. Middle Englishdesignen
  13. English todaydesign

From Middle English designen, from Old French designer, from Latin designō (“to mark out, point out, describe, design, contrive”), from de- (or dis-) + signō (“to mark”), from signum (“mark”). Doublet of designate.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. To plan and carry out (a picture, work of art, construction etc.).
  • 16th–19th c. To assign, appoint (something to someone); to designate.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.