Where does “sir” come from?
sir (Chinese) comes from English Sir, from English sire, from Middle English sire, from Old French sire, from Vulgar Latin seior, from Latin senior, from Latin senex, from Proto-Indo-European sénos — old.
sir (Chinese): an honorific to a man senior than oneself, especially a teacher, a police officer or an engineer
Definitions
- an honorific to a man senior than oneself, especially a teacher, a police officer or an engineer
Ancestry of “sir”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Sir | Alternative letter-case form of sir; The titular... |
| 2 | English | sire | A lord, master, or other person in authority,... |
| 3 | Middle English | sire | Used preceding the name or title of a knight,... |
| 4 | Old French | sire | nominative singular of sieur; master, sir, lord;... |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | seior | — |
| 6 | Latin | senior | older, elder; rather old; a lord, sir; an abbot |
| 7 | Latin | senex | old, aged, elderly; old person, old man, old... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sénos | old |