excuse (English)
Where does "excuse" come from?
The English noun 'excuse' traces its lineage through Middle English 'excusen'[1], which was borrowed from Old French 'escuser'[1]. The Old French term ultimately derives from the Latin verb 'excūsō', 'excūsāre', meaning 'to excuse, allege in excuse, literally, free from a charge'[1]. This Latin source is formed from 'ex-' meaning 'out' combined with 'causa' meaning 'a charge'[1]. Along the way, this borrowing displaced native Old English terms such as 'lād', which also meant 'an excuse'[1].
Open questions
- The ultimate origin of the Latin root 'causa' is unknown, with some scholars proposing a connection to the Proto-Indo-European root '*kewh₂-' meaning to cut or strike, while others remain skeptical of an Indo-European origin. [4]
Full etymology tree
- excuse (English), 'An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.'
- derived excusen (Middle English)
- borrowed escuser (Old French), 'to excuse oneself'
- inherited excuso (Latin), 'to excuse, allege in excuse, free from a charge'
- prefix ex- (Latin), 'out, away'
- compound causa (Latin), 'cause, reason'
- inherited caussa (Latin), 'alternative form of causa'
- inherited *kaussā (Proto-Italic)
- inherited caussa (Latin), 'alternative form of causa'
- suffix -o (Latin), 'Used to form masculine nouns with various meanings:'
- inherited excuso (Latin), 'to excuse, allege in excuse, free from a charge'
- borrowed escuser (Old French), 'to excuse oneself'
- derived excuse (Middle English)
- borrowed excuse (Old French)
- inherited excuso (Latin), 'to excuse, allege in excuse, free from a charge'
- prefix ex- (Latin), 'out, away'
- compound causa (Latin), 'cause, reason'
- inherited caussa (Latin), 'alternative form of causa'
- inherited *kaussā (Proto-Italic)
- inherited caussa (Latin), 'alternative form of causa'
- suffix -o (Latin), 'Used to form masculine nouns with various meanings:'
- inherited excuso (Latin), 'to excuse, allege in excuse, free from a charge'
- borrowed excuse (Old French)
- derived excusen (Middle English)
Ancestors
- escuser (Old French)
- excuso (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- abuse excuse (English)
- excusal (English)
- excuseflation (English)
- excuseless (English)
Sources
- excuse (English) - Wiktionary
- excuso (Latin) - Wiktionary
- escuser (Old French) - Wiktionary
- causa (Latin) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris