English
task
Task comes from Middle English taske, from Old Northern French tasque, from Medieval Latin tasca, an alteration of taxa, from Latin taxō ‘to charge’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtaxō‘to censure; to charge’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtaxa
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500tasca
- Old Northern Frenchc. 842–1400tasque
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500taske‘task, tax’
- Englishearliest quotation 1593task
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtaxō‘to censure; to charge’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtaxa
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500tasca
- Old Northern Frenchc. 842–1400tasque
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500taske‘task, tax’
- Englishearliest quotation 1593task
Earliest quotation: 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […]: “Art thou the Collector of the Kings taske? […]…”
The story
From Middle English taske (‘task, tax’), from Old Northern French tasque, (compare Old French variant tasche), from Medieval Latin tasca, alteration of taxa, from Latin taxō (‘to censure; to charge’).
Linked words
through Latin taxō ‘to censure’
Today it means
noun A piece of work done as part of one’s duties.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin taxō / task