Where does “decay” come from?
Decay comes from Middle English decayen, from Anglo-Norman decaeir, from Medieval Latin decadere, from Latin decadere meaning to fall down, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European de meaning from or away.
decay (English): The process or result of being gradually...
Definitions
- The process or result of being gradually...
Ancestry of “decay”, step by step
decay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English decayen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | decayen | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | decaeir | to fall away, decay, decline |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | decadere | — |
| 4 | Latin | decido | I fall down or off; collapse; drop, hang down; I... |
| 5 | Latin | cado | I fall, I fall out; I die; I cease |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kadō | fall, sink |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱad- | to fall |
via Middle English dekeyen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dekeyen | to decrease, diminish |