Etymograph

English

novate

Novate comes from Latin novātus ‘renewed, refreshed, having been made new’, from Proto-Indo-European *nu ‘now’, and ultimately from *new-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*new-1root named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*nu2‘now’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*néwos2‘new’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*néweh₂ti2‘to renew’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nowāō2reconstructed
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnovō3‘make new’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnovātus1‘renewed, refreshed, having been made new’
  8. Englishtodaynovate1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English novate
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin novo
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Latin novatus

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*new-Wiktionary, English novateroot named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*nuWiktionary, Latin novo‘now’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*néwosWiktionary, Latin novo‘new’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*néweh₂tiWiktionary, Latin novo‘to renew’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nowāōWiktionary, Latin novoreconstructed
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnovōWiktionary, Latin novatus‘make new’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnovātusWiktionary, English novate‘renewed, refreshed, having been made new’
  8. EnglishtodaynovateWiktionary, English novate

first attested First attested in 1611 (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

The story

First attested in 1611; borrowed from Latin novātus, perfect passive participle of novō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *new-

need, renew, innuendo, nouveau, novella, numinous, 11 more

through Proto-Indo-European *nu ‘now’

noo, telenovela, 14 more

through Proto-Indo-European *néwos ‘new’

new, newly, novel, newer, neon, novice, nuevo, newness, novitiate, 14 more

through Latin novō ‘make new’

innovation, renovation, innovator, 3 more

Today it means

verb To replace something with something new

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “novate”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin novo, Latin novatus. 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 *new- / novate

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