Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Sir” come from?

Sir comes from Middle English sire, from Old French sire, from Latin senior, the comparative form of senex meaning old or elder.

Sir (English): Alternative letter-case form of sir; The titular...

Definitions

  1. Alternative letter-case form of sir; The titular...

Ancestry of “Sir”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsireA lord, master, or other person in authority,...
2Middle EnglishsireUsed preceding the name or title of a knight,...
3Old Frenchsirenominative singular of sieur; master, sir, lord;...
4Vulgar Latinseior—
5Latinseniorolder, elder; rather old; a lord, sir; an abbot
6Latinsenexold, aged, elderly; old person, old man, old...
7Proto-Indo-Europeansénosold

Words derived from “Sir”

  • เซอร์
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sénos →