occupy

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kap-“to seize, grab”
2. Latin · derived fromoccupāre“to take possession of, seize, occupy, take up, employ”
3. Old French · derived fromoccuper
4. Middle English · inherited fromoccupien
5. English todayoccupy

From Middle English occupien, occupyen, borrowed from Old French occuper, from Latin occupāre (“to take possession of, seize, occupy, take up, employ”), from ob (“to, on”) + capiō (“to take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, grab”). Doublet of occupate, now obsolete.

Words from the same roots