Exercise
/ˈɛk.sər.saɪz/noun
Physical or mental activity done to improve health, fitness, or skill.
Did you know?Its deepest Latin ancestor, *exercere*, meant “to keep busy, train, drive out,” and the root *ar-* is also behind words tied to motion and action across Indo-European languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ar-
“To fit together, join, or put in motion.”
Latin
Latin
exercēre
“To keep busy, train, drill, or drive out.”
Late Latin
Latin
exercitium
“Practice, training, or an exercise.”
Old French
Old French
exercice
“Practice, use, or military drill.”
Middle English
English
exercice
“Practice, bodily activity, or exertion.”
Modern English
English
exercise
“Physical or mental activity done to improve health, fitness, or skill.”