Where does “challenge” come from?
Challenge comes from Middle English chalenge, from Old French chalonge, from Latin calumnior meaning to accuse falsely, derived from Latin calumnia meaning false accusation.
challenge (English): A confrontation; a dare; A difficult task,...
Definitions
- A confrontation; a dare; A difficult task,...
Ancestry of “challenge”, step by step
challenge traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English chalenge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | chalenge | A fraudulent legal claim, allegation or... |
| 2 | Old French | chalenge | Alternative form of chalonge |
| 3 | Latin | calumnia | A cunning device, trickery, artifice, sophistry,... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | kalwomniā | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kalwomnos | deceiving, accusing |
via Old French chalonge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | chalonge | legal process; challenge |