Etymograph

English

refer

Refer comes from Middle English referren, from Old French referer, from Latin referō ‘to carry back, report’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreferō1‘to carry back; report’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400referer1‘to tell’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500referren1
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1854refer1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English refer
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1854, Reports of Cases Argued and Determined i: “Her counsel has complained of the charge of the…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreferōWiktionary, English refer‘to carry back; report’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400refererWiktionary, English refer‘to tell’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500referrenWiktionary, English refer
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1854referWiktionary, English refer. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1854, Reports of Cases Argued and Determined i: “Her counsel has complained of the charge of the…”

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Today it means

verb To direct the attention of (someone toward something).

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “refer”. 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 referō / refer