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Origin and history of emption

emption(n.)

late 15c., "purchase," from Latin emptionem (nominative emptio) "a buying, purchasing; thing bought," noun of action from emptus, past-participle of emere "to buy" (from PIE root *em- "to take, distribute").

also from late 15c.

Entries linking to emption

pre-emption(n.)

also preemption, c. 1600, "a purchase by one before an opportunity is offered to others," originally as a right; literally "a purchasing before others," from pre- "before" + emption "purchase."

*em-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to take, distribute." 

It might form all or part of: assume; consume; emption; example; exemplar; exemplary; exemplify; exempt; exemption; impromptu; peremptory; pre-emption; premium; presume; presumption; prompt; pronto; ransom; redeem; redemption; resume; sample; Sejm; subsume; sumptuary; sumptuous; vintage.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit yamati "holds, subdues;" Latin emere "buy," originally "take," sumere "to take, obtain, buy;" Old Church Slavonic imo "to take;" Lithuanian imu, imti "to take."

For the sense shift from "take" to "buy" in the Latin verbs, compare Old English sellan "to give," source of Modern English sell "to give in exchange for money;" Hebrew laqah "he bought," originally "he took;" and colloquial English I'll take it for "I'll buy it." 

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