Etymologically
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enter

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ˈen.tə/, US /ˈen.t̬ɚ/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English entren,[2][3] borrowed from Old French entrer (“to enter, go in; to begin”),[3][2] from Latin intrāre (“to go into, enter”),[3][2] the source also of Spanish entrar and Italian entrare,[3] from intrā (“within”),[3][2] related to inter (“between, among”),[2][4] a comparative of Proto-Indo-European *en (“in”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

To go into a place, to join a group: about 1275 in Barnhart[2] and the late 13th century in Etymonline.[3] The OED's first example is from 1297.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Latin the verb was transitive and intransitive, in French intransitive only.[3] “To make one's entrance”, of an actor coming on stage, is from before 1300.[5][3] “To engage in an activity” is from about 1300,[3] and in the late 14th century it meant “to penetrate”, “to have sexual intercourse with”, “to make an entry in a record” and “to take up an office”.[3] In law, “to take possession of land as owner” is from 1523.[5] The OED also records a noun enter, “the act of entering”, from about 1430.[5] In Scots and northern dialect enter meant “to begin, undertake”.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1275 – to go into.[2]
  • before 1300 – of an actor, to come on stage.[5]
  • c. 1300 – to take part in.[3]
  • late 14th century – to record; to penetrate.[3]
  • c. 1430 – noun, the act of entering.[5]
  • 1523 – to take possession of land.[5]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To come or go into: enter a room.
  2. To become a member of or take part in; to join.
  3. To put information into a list, record or computer.
  4. To begin; to embark on: enter a new phase.
  5. To penetrate or pierce.
  6. (law) To place formally on record: enter a plea.

Word family

  • enterable
  • enterer
  • unentered
  • entrance
  • reenter
  • breaking and entering
  • entry
  • entrant
  • inter
  • interior
  • intra-
  • intrinsic

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)