Where does “sorry” come from?
sorry (Dutch) comes from English sorry, from Middle English sory, from Old English sāriġ, from Proto-Germanic sairagaz, from Proto-Germanic sairą, from Proto-Germanic sairaz, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂yro-, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂y- — to bind; to be fierce, afflict; to tie, bind.
sorry (Dutch): sorry; sorry, pardon, excuse me
Definitions
- sorry; sorry, pardon, excuse me
Ancestry of “sorry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | sorry | Regretful for an action; grieved or saddened,... |
| 2 | Middle English | sory | sad, sorrowful; pitiful, downtrodden, dismal;... |
| 3 | Old English | sāriġ | feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sairagaz | sad; saddened; grieved; sorry |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sairą | wound; sore |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sairaz | sore, painful |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂yro- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂y- | to bind; to be fierce, afflict; to tie, bind |
Words derived from “sorry”