Where does “celebrity” come from?
Celebrity comes from Middle English celebritē, from Old French celebrite, from Latin celebritas, derived from Latin celeber meaning "frequent" or "crowded," with the suffix -tus ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -teh₂ and -tós.
celebrity (English): A rite or ceremony; Fame, renown; the state of...
Definitions
- A rite or ceremony; Fame, renown; the state of...
Ancestry of “celebrity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | celebritē | — |
| 2 | Old French | celebrite | — |
| 3 | Latin | celebritas | crowd, multitude; celebration; fame, renown,... |
| 4 | Latin | -tās | ty, -dom, -hood, -ness, -ship |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |