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Origin and history of conclude

conclude(v.)

early 14c., concluden, "confute or frustrate an opponent in argument, end an argument by winning it," from Latin concludere "to shut up, enclose," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + -cludere, combining form of claudere "to shut" (see close (v.)).

The meanings "reach a mental determination, deduce; infer or determine by reason" in English are from late 14c., senses also in Latin. The general sense of "bring to an end, finish, terminate," and the intransitive sense of "come to an end" are from late 14c.

The meaning "settle, arrange, determine finally" is from early 15c. Sometimes in Middle English it was used in the etymological sense, "shut in" (late 14c.). Related: Concluded; concluding.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to conclude

close(v.)

(klōz), c. 1200, "to shut, cover in," from Old French clos- (past participle stem of clore "to shut, to cut off from"), 12c., from Latin clausus, past participle of claudere "to shut, close; to block up, make inaccessible; put an end to; shut in, enclose, confine" (always -clusus, -cludere in compounds), from PIE root *klau- "hook," also "peg, nail, pin," all things used as locks or bolts in primitive structures.

Also partly from Old English beclysan "close in, shut up." Intransitive sense "become shut" is from late 14c. Meaning "draw near to" is from 1520s. Intransitive meaning "draw together, come together" is from 1550s, hence the idea in military verbal phrase close ranks (mid-17c.), later with figurative extensions. Meaning "bring to an end, finish" is from c. 1400; intransitive sense "come to an end" is from 1826. Of stock prices, from 1860. Meaning "bring together the parts of" (a book, etc.) is from 1560s. Related: Closed; closing.

conclusion(n.)

late 14c., conclusioun, "deduction or inference reached by reasoning, result of a discussion or examination," from Old French conclusion "conclusion, result, outcome" and directly from Latin conclusionem (nominative conclusio), noun of action from past-participle stem of concludere "to shut up, enclose" (see conclude).

Also, from late 14c. "the end, termination, final part; closing passages of a speech or writing; final result, outcome." For foregone conclusion, see forego.

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resolve
late 14c., resolven, "melt, dissolve, reduce to liquid; separate into component parts; alter, alter in form or nature by application of physical process," " intransitive sense from c. 1400; from Old French resolver or directly from Latin resolvere "to loosen, loose, unyoke, undo;
reason
c. 1200, resoun, "the intellectual faculty that adopts actions to ends," also "statement in an argument, statement of explanation or justification," from Anglo-French resoun, Old French raison "course; matter; subject; language, speech; thought, opinion," from Latin rationem (nom
syllogism
originally "inference, conclusion; computation, calculation," from syllogizesthai "bring together before the mind, compute, conclude...
define
state the signification of, explain what is meant by, describe in detail," from Old French defenir, definir "to finish, conclude...
seal
Hence "to conclude, ratify, render official or binding" by affixing seals to it (late 15c.)....
clause
"end of a sentence or a legal argument," from clausa, fem. noun from past participle of claudere "to close, to shut, to conclude...
superior
If he takes the second course, you conclude that he is not superior to it; if the first, that perhaps he is. [Fowler]...
post
"a timber of considerable size set upright," from Old English post "pillar, doorpost," and from Old French post "post, upright beam," both from Latin postis "door, post, doorpost," in Medieval Latin "a beam, rod, pole," which is perhaps from Vulgar Latin *por- "forth," a variant
spot
c. 1200, "moral stain;" by mid-14c. as "speck, stain left by something on a surface;" probably at least in part from a variant of Old English splott "a spot, blot, patch (of land)," and partly from or related to Middle Dutch spotte "spot, speck." Other cognates are East Frisian s
stop
Middle English stoppen, "obstruct (a passage) with a physical barrier; close up by filling, stuffing, or plugging," from Old English -stoppian (in forstoppian "to stop up, stifle"), a general West Germanic word, cognate with Old Saxon stuppon, West Frisian stopje, Middle Low Germ

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