entry
agree
/əˈɡriː/to share an opinion or give consent
From Latin ad (to) + Latin, ultimately Proto-Indo-European grat (pleasing).
from Latin ad (see ad- ) + Old French gre , gret "that which pleases,"
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- (“to welcome, greet, praise”).
from Latin gratum , neuter of gratus "pleasing, welcome, agreeable" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to...
from Old French agreer "to please, satisfy; to receive with favor, take pleasure in" (12c.), a contraction of the...
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English agreen
from Old French agreer "to please, satisfy; to receive with favor, take pleasure in" (12c.), a contraction of the...
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin ad (see ad- ) + Old French gre , gret "that which pleases,"
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- (“to welcome, greet, praise”).
from Latin gratum , neuter of gratus "pleasing, welcome, agreeable" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to...
from Old French agreer "to please, satisfy; to receive with favor, take pleasure in" (12c.), a contraction of the...
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English agreen
from Old French agreer "to please, satisfy; to receive with favor, take pleasure in" (12c.), a contraction of the...
+1 more sourcePicture a medieval French speaker saying something was a gré—literally, “to one’s liking.” The phrase joined Latin ad, “to,” with gré, a descendant of Latin gratum, “pleasing,” and it eventually compressed into Old French agreer. English picked it up in the late fourteenth century, first with the cozy sense “to please” or “receive kindly,” before it developed its familiar social meaning: to give assent or share an opinion. The same welcoming root is hiding in gratitude, gratification, and gratefulness—a whole family built around the feeling that something is pleasing enough to receive with an open hand. So when you say “I agree,” you are faintly echoing a medieval verdict: this lands favorably with me.
The Story
Picture a medieval French speaker saying something was a gré—literally, “to one’s liking.” The phrase joined Latin ad, “to,” with gré, a descendant of Latin gratum, “pleasing,” and it eventually compressed into Old French agreer. English picked it up in the late fourteenth century, first with the cozy sense “to please” or “receive kindly,” before it developed its familiar social meaning: to give assent or share an opinion. The same welcoming root is hiding in gratitude, gratification, and gratefulness—a whole family built around the feeling that something is pleasing enough to receive with an open hand. So when you say “I agree,” you are faintly echoing a medieval verdict: this lands favorably with me.
Modern Usage
A brief online affirmation of someone else’s statement or rant.
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entry describing “agree” as a short affirmation
Kin & Kindred
From 'ad'·to, toward
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'grat'·pleasing, welcome, favor
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary