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Origin and history of despatch

despatch

18c. variant of dispatch (q.v.), apparently the result of an error in the printing of Johnson's dictionary.

also from 18c.

Entries linking to despatch

dispatch(v.)

1510s, "to send off, send to a destination," usually implying urgent importance or haste, from Spanish despachar "expedite, hasten" or cognate Italian dispacciare "to dispatch." For first element, see dis-.

The second element apparently has been confused or corrupted, and its exact source and meaning is uncertain. One proposal is that it is Vulgar Latin *pactare "to fasten, fix" or *pactiare. Another says it is Latin -pedicare "to entrap" (from Latin pedica "shackle;" see impeach), and the Spanish and Italian words seem to be related to (perhaps opposites of) Old Provençal empachar "impede." See OED for full discussion.

Meaning "get rid of promptly by killing" is attested from 1520s; that of "attend to, finish, bring to an end, accomplish" is from 1530s. Related: Dispatched; dispatching.

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    expedition
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    unconditional
    The ringing phrase of Grant's latest despatch circulated through the North like some coinage fresh from the mint, and "Unconditional...
    burglarize
    We see in a telegraphic despatch from across the boundary line that a store was "burglarized" a short time ago....
    ship
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    account
    c. 1300, "counting," especially "reckoning of money received and paid, detailed statement of funds owed or spent or property held," from Old French acont "(financial) account, reckoning, terminal payment," from a "to" (see ad-) + cont "counting, reckoning of money to be paid," fr
    transport
    late 14c., transporten, "convey from one place to another," from Old French transporter "carry or convey across; overwhelm (emotionally)" (14c.) or directly from Latin transportare "carry over, take across, convey, remove," from trans "beyond, across" (see trans-) + portare "to c
    outer
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    c. 1200, "a way, a road, space for passage," from Old French rute "road, way, path" (12c.), from Latin rupta (via) "(a road) opened by force," broken or cut through a forest, etc., from rupta, fem. past participle of rumpere "to break" (see rupture (n.)). The sense of "fixed or r
    story
    "connected account or narration, oral or written," c. 1200, originally "narrative of important events or celebrated persons of the past, true or presumed to be; history," from Anglo-French storie, estorie, Old French estoire "story, chronicle, history," and directly from Late Lat
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