employ

employ · verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromimplicāre“to infold, entangle, involve, engage”
2. Old French · derived fromemploiier“to entangle, fabricate, to make use of”
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromemploier
4. Middle English · inherited fromemploien
5. English todayemploy

From late Middle English emploien, imploien, emplien (“to apply to a specific purpose”), from Anglo-Norman emploier, Old French emploiier (“to entangle, fabricate, to make use of”), ultimately from Latin implicāre (“to infold, entangle, involve, engage”), from in- (“in”) + plicāre (“to fold”). Doublet of imply and implicate.

employ · noun²

1. French · borrowed fromemploi“job, employment”
2. English todayemploy

Borrowed from French emploi (“job, employment”), the deverbal from employer (“to put to use, to employ”), first attested in the late 17th century.

Words from the same roots