The term “remember” comes from the Latin word “rememorari,” which means “to recall to mind” or “to remember.” This is derived from the Latin roots “re-” meaning “again” and “memor,” meaning “mindful” or “remembering.”
1. Proto-Indo-European (PIE)
The PIE root “*men-” means “to think” or “to remember.”
2. Latin
From the PIE root, the Latin word “memor” developed, meaning “mindful” or “remembering.” The verb “rememorari” combines “re-” (again) and “memor” (mindful), meaning “to recall to mind” or “to remember.”
3. Old French (c. 9th to 14th century CE)
The Latin term “rememorari” evolved into Old French “remembrer,” meaning “to remember” or “to recall.”
4. Middle English (c. 11th to 15th century CE)
The Old French “remembrer” was adopted into Middle English as “remembren,” meaning “to remember” or “to recall to mind.”
5. Modern English (from 15th century CE to present)
The term “remember” evolved into its current form and pronunciation, retaining the meaning of recalling something to mind or being mindful of something.
The word “remember” reflects the act of recalling past experiences, information, or events to mind, emphasizing the importance of memory and mindfulness in human cognition and communication.