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Early 15c
- 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).
www.etymonline.com/word/apology
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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.”
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. apology is a borrowing from Latin .
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 ...
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.
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 some...
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.
OED's earliest evidence for apology is from 1633, in the writing of Thomas Heywood, playwright and poet. It is also recorded as a noun from the mid 1500s. apology is formed within English, by conversion.
