populate
/ˈpɒpjʊleɪt/
verb
Origin
Latin
populus — people
Overview
Meaning Now
- To inhabit or live in a place; to form the population of an area.
- To fill or supply with inhabitants.
- To fill a data field or database with information.
Literal older meaning
to fill with people
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
populāt-
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The word evolved from the Latin 'populus' (people), which is the source of many English words related to democracy and the public. During the 20th century, the meaning expanded from biological inhabitation to include the digital 'populating' of computer fields and tables.
Evolution
- Latin
populus
“people, a multitude”
- Late Latin
populare
“to provide with inhabitants”
denominative verb from populus
- Middle French
populer
“to populate”
- English
populate
“to inhabit”
attested c. 1530
Connections
Word parts
popul
root
people
ate
suffix
verbalizing suffix
Related across languages
French
peupler
to populate
Spanish
poblar
to populate
Italian
popolare
to populate
Explore next
Related to populate
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.