Etymology

emote

E1M3O1T1E1

Today it means: To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner. Full definition →

First used early 20th c.English emotionbf. ← Middle French emotion ← Old French esmovoir
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
  3. Proto-Italic*eks
  4. Latinex
  5. Latinex-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)ewh₁-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)owh₁éyeti
  8. Proto-Italic*moweō
  9. Latinmoveō
  10. Latinēmoveō
  11. Vulgar Latin*exmovēre
  12. Old Frenchesmovoir
  13. Middle Frenchesmouvoir
  14. Middle Frenchemotion
  15. Englishemotionbf.
  16. English todayemote

The verb is a back-formation from emotion.

First known use, by meaning

  • from early 20th c. To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner.
  • from early 20th c. To deliver (a speech), say (lines of a play, words), etc., in a dramatic or emotional manner, especially if overly so.
  • from early 20th c. To display (excessive) emotion, especially while acting.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.