'invite' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'invitare,' where 'in-' meant 'toward' and 'vitare' meant 'to call or summon.'

'invitare' transformed into the Old French word 'inviter,' and eventually became the modern English word 'invite' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to call or summon someone,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.