c.1200, "call, send for, ask the presence of," especially "call, cite, or notify by authority to be at a certain place at a certain time" (late 13c.), from Anglo-French sumunre and directly from Old French somonre, variant of sumundre, somondre "summon," from Vulgar Latin *summundre "to call, cite," from Latin summonere "hint to, remind privately," from sub "under" (see sub-) + monere "warn, advise" (see monitor, n.). In part also from Medieval Latin use of summonere. Meaning "arouse, excite to action" is from 1580s. Related: Summoned; summoning.