Etymograph

English

introit

Introit comes from Anglo-Norman introït, from Latin introitus ‘act of entering in or into, entrance’, and ultimately from eō ‘to go’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeō1‘to go’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintroeō2‘to go within, enter’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintroitus3‘act of entering in or into, entrance’
  4. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400introït3
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500introite3‘act of entering in or into, entrance’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1833introit3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin introeo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin introitus
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English introit
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1833, Nicholas Harris Nicolas, A Glossary of Dates; […]: “Adorate Dominum. The introit* and name of the third…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeōWiktionary, Latin introeo‘to go’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintroeōWiktionary, Latin introitus‘to go within, enter’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintroitusWiktionary, English introit‘act of entering in or into, entrance’
  4. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400introïtWiktionary, English introit
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500introiteWiktionary, English introit‘act of entering in or into, entrance’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1833introitWiktionary, English introit. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1833, Nicholas Harris Nicolas, A Glossary of Dates; […]: “Adorate Dominum. The introit* and name of the third…”

The story

Introeō is derived from intrō (‘to enter, go into’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (‘in’)) + eō (‘to go’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (‘to go’)).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Latin eō ‘to go’

issue, initial, transition, exit, ambitious, ambition, ambient, trance, obituary, eyre, transient, sedition, ambiance, transitive, seditious, transitory, praetorian, praetor, ambit, obit, 22 more

Today it means

noun A prayer, typically part of a psalm or other portion of the Bible, read or sung at the start of Mass while or immediately after the priest ascends to the altar.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “introit”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin introeo, Latin introitus. 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 / Latin eō / introit

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