promise

The story

1. Latin · derived fromprōmissum“a promise”
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromprōmissa
3. Old French · derived frompromesse
4. Middle English · inherited frompromis, promisse
5. English todaypromise

From Middle English promis, promisse, borrowed from Old French promesse, from Medieval Latin prōmissa, Latin prōmissum (“a promise”), feminine and neuter past participles of prōmittō (“to send forth, to say beforehand, to promise”), from pro (“forth”) + mittere (“to send”); see mission. Compare admit, commit, permit, etc. Displaced native ġehātan (“to promise”) and ġehāt (“a promise”).