Where does “confidante” come from?

Confidante comes from French confidente, from Latin confidentem, the accusative of confidens, meaning "trusting," from confidere, "to trust fully," composed of con- and a root related to Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ-.

confidante (English): A female confidant; A type of settee having a...

Definitions

  1. A female confidant; A type of settee having a...

Ancestry of “confidante”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchconfidente
2Latinconfidentemaccusative masculine singular of cōnfīdēns;...
3Latinconfidensconfiding; relying
4Latinconfiderepresent active infinitive of cōnfīdō; to trust...
5LatinconfidoI am confident or assured of, confide in,...
6Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt
13Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
14Old High Germankuti
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz