Where does “decide” come from?
Decide comes from Middle English deciden, from Middle French decider, from Latin decidere, meaning to cut off or determine, from de- and cadere, meaning to fall.
decide (English): To resolve (a contest, problem, dispute, etc.); to choose, determine, or settle
Definitions
- To resolve (a contest, problem, dispute, etc.); to choose, determine, or settle
Ancestry of “decide”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | deciden | To make a ruling or judgement; to decide an issue... |
| 2 | Middle French | décider | — |
| 3 | Latin | dēcīdō | to fall down or off; collapse; drop, hang down |
| 4 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 5 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 6 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 7 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |