date
UK[deɪt]US[deɪt]
n
a specific day of a month or year
n
a social or romantic appointment
n
a sweet, dark brown, oval fruit from a palm tree
v
to write or specify the date on something
v
to go out with someone romantically
v
to originate from a particular time in the past
Etymology
The modern English word 'date' represents a fascinating convergence of two distinct Latin lineages. The primary meaning relating to a point in time descends from the Latin phrase 'data Romae', meaning 'given at Rome', used in dating letters; the crucial word 'data' (feminine past participle of 'dare', 'to give') evolved in Old French to 'date', signifying the time given. Simultaneously, the word for the fruit comes from Latin 'dactylus', meaning 'finger' or 'date' (from Greek 'daktylos', 'finger'), due to the fruit's oblong shape resembling a finger. These two streams merged into the single English spelling 'date', creating a homograph where the abstract concept of a given time and the concrete image of a finger-shaped fruit share an identical, simple form.
Analysis
The English word 'date' is a simplex form derived from two distinct Latin words via Old French, resulting in a single, unsegmentable morpheme in modern English.
Examples
The date on the letter was clearly written as 12th May, 1945.
They went on their first date to a small Italian restaurant.
These architectural features date back to the Victorian era.