put
/pʊt/
verb
Origin
Old English
putian — to push, strike, or thrust
Overview
Meaning Now
- To move something to a specific place or position.
- To express something in a particular way (e.g., in words).
- To cause someone or something to be in a specified state or condition.
Language path
Middle English → Old English → Proto-Germanic
Earliest form
puten
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The verb 'put' is unusual because its origins are not clearly traced back to a common Germanic ancestor in the way most core English verbs are. It may have been a colloquial or dialectal term that replaced the Old English 'settan' (set) and 'don' (do) in many contexts.
Evolution
- Old English
putian
“to push or strike”
Hypothetical reconstruction due to lack of extensive written evidence.
- Middle English
puten
“to push, cast, or set”
Re-emerged in written records in the 13th century.
- Modern English
put
“to place, set, or express”
Standardized spelling and usage.
Connections
Word parts
put
root
to place or push
Related across languages
Middle Low German
puten
to swell or push
West Frisian
putje
to pull or draw
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.