Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “debtor” come from?

Debtor comes from Middle English dettour, from Old French detour, from Latin debitor, one who owes, derived from debitum, that which is owed, from debere, to owe, ultimately from habere, to have.

debtor (English): A person or firm that owes money; one in debt;...

Definitions

  1. A person or firm that owes money; one in debt;...

Ancestry of “debtor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishdettourOne who is indebted to another; One who must...
2Old Frenchdetour—
3Latindēbitor—

Words derived from “debtor”

  • codebtor
  • debtorship
  • homedebtor
Every word from Latin dēbitor →