Where does “sex” come from?
sex (Danish) comes from English sex, from English sect, from Middle English secte, from Old French secte, from Late Latin secta, from Latin sequi, from Latin sequor, from Proto-Italic sekʷōr — to follow; to see; to say.
sex (Danish): Sexual intercourse, sex
Ancestry of “sex”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | sex | A category into which sexually-reproducing... |
| 2 | English | sect | An offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing... |
| 3 | Middle English | secte | A variety or sort; a category with a... |
| 4 | Old French | secte | a sect in philosophy or religion |
| 5 | Late Latin | secta | a sect in philosophy or religion, a school,... |
| 6 | Latin | sequi | present active infinitive of sequor; follow, come... |
| 7 | Latin | sequor | I follow, come or go after |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | sekʷōr | follow, come/go after |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sékʷetor | to be following |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |