Search results
Apology comes to English from the Greek roots of apo - (“away from, off”) and logia (from logos, meaning “speech”). The word's earliest meaning in English was “something said or written in defense or justification of what appears to others to be wrong or of what may be liable to disapprobation.”
Sep 24, 2022 · apology. (n.) early 15c., "defense, justification," from Late Latin apologia, from Greek apologia "a speech in defense," from apologeisthai "to speak in one's defense," from apologos "an account, story," from apo "away from, off" (see apo-) + logos "speech" (see Logos). In classical Greek, "a well-reasoned reply; a 'thought-out response' to the ...
Apr 16, 2009 · The evolution of the way the sentiment is expressed in English continued in the 18th Century, when the word apology came into use. Before then "apologia" had meant a very formal defence of...
The earliest known use of the noun apology is in the mid 1500s. OED's earliest evidence for apology is from 1533, in the writing of More.
Mar 20, 2014 · If you’ve done something that makes you feel sorry or guilty, think about the evolutionary origins of such states–perhaps you should try to correct something in your social world. If you have...
Feb 6, 2016 · By the early 1600s, the noun had yielded the verb apologize and over time, the meaning of apology and apologize shifted further to indicate a statement of regret rather than a defense of one’s actions. An intermediate step along the way was the use of apology to mean an excuse, and that use
The meaning drifted over time. By the late 16th century the meaning of "speaking in justification" had drifted to "speaking in regret", and by the 18th century this was the primary meaning. Source. This is actually rather common in languages--see here.
People also ask
When did the word apology become a noun?
What does apology mean in English?
Where did apology come from?
What is the meaning of apologia?
What does apologizing mean?
Where does the word Apo come from?
