Etymograph

English

admonish

Admonish comes from Old French amonester ‘to admonish (to warn)’, from Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti ‘to cause to think, make think’, and ultimately from *men-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-1‘to think’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyeti1‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*man-eje-1reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moneō1‘to remind, warn’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoneō2‘to warn, advise’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadmoneō2‘to remind, warn’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400amonester2‘to admonish (to warn)’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500a(d)monisshen2
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1611admonish2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin moneo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English admonish
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “Better is a poore and a wise child, then…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-Wiktionary, Latin moneo‘to think’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyetiWiktionary, Latin moneo‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*man-eje-Wiktionary, Latin moneoreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moneōWiktionary, Latin moneo‘to remind, warn’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoneōWiktionary, English admonish‘to warn, advise’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadmoneōWiktionary, English admonish‘to remind, warn’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400amonesterWiktionary, English admonish‘to admonish (to warn)’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500a(d)monisshenWiktionary, English admonish
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1611admonishWiktionary, English admonish. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “Better is a poore and a wise child, then…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’

music, mind, money, amount, comment, mental, remain, museum, mouth, permanent, mountain, mention, auto, min, mount, mentor, mint, maya, dementia, monetary, imminent, amnesty, muse, eminent, menace, ming, prominence, mas, mandarin, mantra, monk, mosaic, amnesia, monastery, remnant, monte, mania, eminence, manic, summons, 112 more

through Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti ‘to cause to think, make think’

summon, 14 more

through Proto-Italic *moneō ‘to remind, warn’

monster, demonstration, monumental, monstrous, monstrosity, demonstrative, 14 more

through Latin moneō ‘to warn, advise’

monitor, monument, muster, minter, 6 more

Today it means

verb To inform or notify of a fault; to rebuke in a serious tone; to tell off.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “admonish”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin moneo. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / admonish

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