*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of adapt

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ptós Proto-Italic *aptos Latin aptus Proto-Indo-European *

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
adj

Adapted; fit; suited; suitable; apt.

verb

To make suitable; to make to correspond; to fit or suit. · To fit by alteration; to modify or remodel for a different purpose; to adjust. · To make by altering or fitting something else; to produce by change of form or character. · To make oneself comfortable to a new thing.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ptós Proto-Italic *aptos Latin aptus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Proto-Indo-European [Term?]der. Proto-Italic *apjō Latin apiō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus ▲ Latin -ō Latin -tō Latin aptō Latin adaptōder. Middle English *adapten English adapt From Middle English *adapten (attested in Middle English adapted (past participle)), from Latin adaptāre (“to fit to”), from ad- (“to”) + aptāre (“to make fit”), from aptus (“fit”); see apt.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:*adapten<ety:der<la:adaptō>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂éd\nProto-Italic *ad\nProto-Italic *ad-\nLatin ad-\nProto-Indo-European *h₂ep-\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Indo-European *h₂ptós\nProto-Italic *aptos\nLatin aptus\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.\nProto-Italic *-ājō\nProto-Italic *-āō\nLatin -ō\nProto-Indo-European [Term?]der.\nProto-Italic *apjō\nLatin apiō\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Italic *-tos\nLatin -tus\n▲\nLatin -ō\nLatin -tō\nLatin aptō\nLatin adaptōder.\nMiddle English *adapten\nEnglish adapt\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"to, towards, at\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"at\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂éd\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*ad\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*ad-\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"ad-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"gloss\" : \"adjust, adapt; prepare\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*h₂ptós\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"join\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂ep-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tós\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*aptos\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"aptus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suf\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-ājō\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suf\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\", \"pos\" : \"suffix originally used to form collective nouns, extended in Late PIE to also be a marker of feminine gender\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-éh₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"intransitive verbs\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-eh₂yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"influ.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Influenced by\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂ti\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"influence\" } ], \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-āō\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ō\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"fasten\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*apjō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"apiō\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"id\" : \"frequentative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"past participle\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"verbal adjectives\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"ine-pro\", \"id\" : \"verbal adjectives\", \"pos\" : \"suffix\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-tos\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-tus\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"la\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"itc-pro:*-āō<id:suf>\", \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"pos\" : \"suffix\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ō\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-tō\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"aptō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"adaptō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"*adapten\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"adapt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"adapt\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "*adapten"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English *adapten"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adapted",
        "pos": "past participle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English adapted (past participle)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "adaptāre",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to fit to"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin adaptāre (“to fit to”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:*adapten<ety:der<la:adaptō>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂éd\nProto-Italic *ad\nProto-Italic *ad-\nLatin ad-\nProto-Indo-European *h₂ep-\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Indo-European *h₂ptós\nProto-Italic *aptos\nLatin aptus\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.\nProto-Italic *-ājō\nProto-Italic *-āō\nLatin -ō\nProto-Indo-European [Term?]der.\nProto-Italic *apjō\nLatin apiō\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Italic *-tos\nLatin -tus\n▲\nLatin -ō\nLatin -tō\nLatin aptō\nLatin adaptōder.\nMiddle English *adapten\nEnglish adapt"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₂éd",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂éd#Proto-Indo-European:_at"
    ],
    [
      "*ad",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/ad#Proto-Italic:_to"
    ],
    [
      "*ad-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/ad-#Proto-Italic:_to"
    ],
    [
      "ad-",
      "ad-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂ep-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂ep-#Proto-Indo-European:_join"
    ],
    [
      "*-tós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-tós"
    ],
    [
      "*aptos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/aptos"
    ],
    [
      "aptus",
      "aptus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-éh₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-éh₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_intransitive_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*-eh₂yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eh₂yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂ti"
    ],
    [
      "*-āō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-āō#Proto-Italic:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "-ō",
      "-o#Latin:_denominative"
    ],
    [
      "*apjō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/apjō"
    ],
    [
      "apiō",
      "apio#Latin:_fasten"
    ],
    [
      "*-tós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-tós#Proto-Indo-European:_verbal_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "*-tos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-tos#Proto-Italic:_verbal_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-tus",
      "-tus#Latin:_past_participle"
    ],
    [
      "-ō",
      "-o#Latin:_denominative"
    ],
    [
      "-tō",
      "-to#Latin:_frequentative"
    ],
    [
      "aptō",
      "apto#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "adaptō",
      "adapto#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*adapten",
      "Reconstruction:Middle English/adapten"
    ],
    [
      "*adapten",
      "Reconstruction:Middle English/adapten"
    ],
    [
      "adapted",
      "adapted#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "adaptāre",
      "adapto#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ad-",
      "ad-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "aptāre",
      "apto#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "aptus",
      "aptus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "apt",
      "apt"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Adapted; fit; suited; suitable; apt."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "4dec717c7886602cdf92f76c985767a3405ce6385505799a3af5fb658a7aeb71",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 172253
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To make suitable; to make to correspond; to fit or suit.",
        "To fit by alteration; to modify or remodel for a different purpose; to adjust.",
        "To make by altering or fitting something else; to produce by change of form or character.",
        "To make oneself comfortable to a new thing."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "e660c47ea0a454c702bddd36dcc449f1b3b985673985351a2cd30ab651a9c26f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "76980310fa515fd7f5a63625d9fb2eb45e9a253fad0dd51c51b1710839dae09b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 172252
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for adapt →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YWRhcHQ