debt
/dɛt/
noun
Origin
Latin
debere — to owe
Overview
Meaning Now
- Something, typically money, that is owed or due to another.
- A state of owing something, especially money.
Literal older meaning
something that is owed
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
dette
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The 'b' in 'debt' is etymological and was not pronounced in Middle English. It was restored in the 16th and 17th centuries by scholars to emphasize its relationship to the Latin 'debitum', despite the word having entered English through the French route where the 'b' had already disappeared.
Evolution
- Latin
debitum
“something owed”
Past participle of debere.
- Old French
dete
“something owed”
Loss of internal 'b' sound.
- Middle English
dette
“something owed”
Adopted from Old French.
- Early Modern English
debt
“something owed”
The 'b' was re-inserted in spelling to reflect the Latin etymon 'debitum'.
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
away/off
habere
root
to have/hold
Related across languages
French
dette
debt
Italian
debito
debt
Spanish
deuda
debt
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Related to debt
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.