report
/rɪˈpɔːrt/
noun
Origin
Latin
reportare — to carry back, bring back
Overview
Meaning Now
- an account given of a particular matter, especially in the form of an official document or speech.
- a sudden loud noise, as of an explosion or a gunshot.
Literal older meaning
to carry back
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
reporten
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term evolved from the literal Latin act of 'carrying back' information to an administrative sense of filing accounts or records during the development of bureaucratic systems in Western Europe.
Evolution
- Latin
reportare
“to carry back”
- Old French
reporter
“to relate, to tell”
- Middle English
reporten
“to repeat, to announce”
- Early Modern English
report
“official account; loud explosive sound”
Connections
Word parts
re-
prefix
back
port
root
to carry
Related across languages
French
rapporter
to bring back
Spanish
reportar
to report or yield
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Related to report
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.