borrowed from Latin explicātus, past participle of explicō, explicāre "to free from folds or creases, unroll, disentangle, spread out, set out in words, give an account of," from ex- + plicāre "to fold, bend"
explainexpoundexplicateelucidateinterpret mean to make something clear or understandable. explain implies a making plain or intelligible what is not immediately obvious or entirely known. expound implies a careful often elaborate explanation.