devolve

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*de
2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
3. Proto-Italic*dē
4. Latindē
5. Latindē-
6. Proto-Indo-European*welH-
7. Proto-Italic*wolwō
8. Latinvolvō
9. Latindēvolvō
10. English todaydevolve

Borrowed from Latin dēvolvō (“roll or tumble off or down”), from dē- + volvō (“roll”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 16th c. To be inherited by someone else; to pass down upon the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.
• from 17th c. To delegate (a responsibility, duty, etc.) on or upon someone.
• from 17th c. To transfer authority and responsibility for (something) to (another entity).
• from 18th c. To fall as a duty or responsibility on or upon someone.
• from 18th c. To shift or to be transferred from a central government to a local one, a federal one to a federated one, etc.
• from 18th c. To degenerate; to break down.
• 15th–19th c. To roll (something) down; to unroll.