Etymograph

English

ammunition

Ammunition comes from French munition ‘the war supplies’, from Latin mūniō ‘to provide with defensive works, fortify’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-1‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*móyni1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moini1reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoene1‘wall, fortification’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūniō2‘to provide with defensive works, fortify’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūnitiōnem2
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentmunition3‘the war supplies’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentamunition3
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1938ammunition3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin munio
  2. 2 Wiktionary, French munition
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English ammunition
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1938, American Lumberman: “They say that the booklet gives them ammunition which…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-Wiktionary, Latin munio‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*móyniWiktionary, Latin munioreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moiniWiktionary, Latin munioreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoeneWiktionary, Latin munio‘wall, fortification’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūniōWiktionary, French munition‘to provide with defensive works, fortify’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūnitiōnemWiktionary, French munition
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentmunitionWiktionary, English ammunition‘the war supplies’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentamunitionWiktionary, English ammunition
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1938ammunitionWiktionary, English ammunition. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1938, American Lumberman: “They say that the booklet gives them ammunition which…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’

mean, met, minute, minister, common, community, minor, mess, commission, meal, ministry, min, menu, compromise, missile, mere, mutual, minus, commit, communication, dismiss, premise, communist, communicate, mole, immune, mayhem, noodle, moor, mural, intermittent, communism, communal, municipality, immunity, mite, omit, commune, minstrel, communion, 76 more

through Latin mūnitiōnem

ammo

Today it means

noun Articles used in charging firearms and ordnance of all kinds; as powder, balls, shot, shells, percussion caps, rockets, etc.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ammunition”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin munio, French munition. 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 *mey- / ammunition

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