*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ardent

First attested circa 14th century as Middle English ardaunt, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ardent and Old French ardant, from Latin ardentem, accusative of ardēns, present participle of ardeō (“to burn”).

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

Full of ardor; expressing passion, spirit, or enthusiasm. · Providing light or heat.

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

First attested circa 14th century as Middle English ardaunt, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ardent and Old French ardant, from Latin ardentem, accusative of ardēns, present participle of ardeō (“to burn”).

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.

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        "3": "*h₂eHs-"
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    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ardaunt"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English ardaunt"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "ardent"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman ardent"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "ardant"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French ardant"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "ardentem"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin ardentem"
    },
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        "1": "participle",
        "2": "present participle"
      },
      "expansion": "present participle"
    }
  ],
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      "ardaunt",
      "ardaunt#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
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      "ardent#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "ardant",
      "ardant#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "ardentem",
      "ardentem#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ardēns",
      "ardens#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ardeō",
      "ardeo#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Full of ardor; expressing passion, spirit, or enthusiasm.",
        "Providing light or heat."
      ],
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  }
}

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 ardent →

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-YXJkZW50