*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of emote

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex- Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Pro

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 ↗
noun

A virtual action expressed to other users as a graphic or reported speech rather than a straightforward message. · Clipping of emoticon. · A short action, such as a gesture or a dance move, which may be seen by other players but does not have any effect on gameplay.

verb

To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner. · To deliver (a speech), say (lines of a play, words), etc., in a dramatic or emotional manner, especially if overly so. · To display (excessive) emotion, especially while acting. · To express a virtual action, presented to other users as a graphic or reported speech, rather than sending a straightforward message.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex- Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti Proto-Italic *moweō Latin moveō Latin ēmoveō Vulgar Latin *exmovēre Old French esmovoir Middle French esmouvoir Middle French emotionbor. English emotionbf. English emote The verb is a back-formation from emotion.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bf",
        "3": "emotion",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ\nProto-Indo-European *-s\nProto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs\nProto-Italic *eks\nLatin ex\nLatin ex-\nProto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-\nProto-Indo-European *-yeti\nProto-Indo-European *-éyeti\nProto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti\nProto-Italic *moweō\nLatin moveō\nLatin ēmoveō\nVulgar Latin *exmovēre\nOld French esmovoir\nMiddle French esmouvoir\nMiddle French emotionbor.\nEnglish emotionbf.\nEnglish emote\n[Appendix:Glossary#back-formation|Back-formation]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"out of\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"out\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₁éǵʰ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"adverbial\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-s\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₁éǵʰs\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*eks\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"ex\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"ex-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"gloss\" : \"move\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"move\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*m(y)owh₁éyeti\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"move\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*m(y)ewh₁-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"forming verbs\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yeti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-éyeti\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*moweō\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"moveō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"ēmoveō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Vulgar Latin\", \"term\" : \"*exmovēre\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"la-vul\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"esmovoir\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle French\", \"term\" : \"esmouvoir\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"frm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle French\", \"term\" : \"emotion\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"frm\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"emotion\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"back-formation\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"emote\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"emote\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "verb"
      },
      "expansion": "verb"
    },
    {
      "name": "back-form",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "emotion",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from emotion"
    },
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      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bf",
        "3": "emotion",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ\nProto-Indo-European *-s\nProto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs\nProto-Italic *eks\nLatin ex\nLatin ex-\nProto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-\nProto-Indo-European *-yeti\nProto-Indo-European *-éyeti\nProto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti\nProto-Italic *moweō\nLatin moveō\nLatin ēmoveō\nVulgar Latin *exmovēre\nOld French esmovoir\nMiddle French esmouvoir\nMiddle French emotionbor.\nEnglish emotionbf.\nEnglish emote"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₁éǵʰ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁éǵʰ"
    ],
    [
      "*-s",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-s#Proto-Indo-European:_adverbial"
    ],
    [
      "*h₁éǵʰs",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁éǵʰs"
    ],
    [
      "*eks",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/eks"
    ],
    [
      "ex",
      "ex#Latin:_out"
    ],
    [
      "ex-",
      "ex-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*m(y)ewh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/m(y)ewh₁-#Proto-Indo-European:_move"
    ],
    [
      "*-yeti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yeti#Proto-Indo-European:_forming_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*-éyeti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-éyeti"
    ],
    [
      "*moweō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/moweō#Proto-Italic:_move"
    ],
    [
      "moveō",
      "moveo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ēmoveō",
      "emoveo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*exmovēre",
      "Reconstruction:Latin/exmovere"
    ],
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      "esmovoir",
      "esmovoir#Old_French"
    ],
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      "esmouvoir",
      "esmouvoir#Middle_French"
    ],
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      "emotion",
      "emotion#Middle_French"
    ],
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      "emotion",
      "emotion#English"
    ],
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      "emotion",
      "emotion#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A virtual action expressed to other users as a graphic or reported speech rather than a straightforward message.",
        "Clipping of emoticon.",
        "A short action, such as a gesture or a dance move, which may be seen by other players but does not have any effect on gameplay."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping"
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    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner.",
        "To deliver (a speech), say (lines of a play, words), etc., in a dramatic or emotional manner, especially if overly so.",
        "To display (excessive) emotion, especially while acting.",
        "To express a virtual action, presented to other users as a graphic or reported speech, rather than sending a straightforward message."
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 1,
    "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 emote →

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
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZW1vdGU