Where does “defendant” come from?
Defendant comes from Middle English defendaunt, from Old French defendant, the present participle of Old French defendre, from Latin defendere, composed of the prefix Latin de- and Latin de, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European de.
defendant (English): Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive,...
Definitions
- Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive,...
Ancestry of “defendant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | defendaunt | defending; defending in a suit; defendant in a... |
| 2 | Old French | defendant | — |
| 3 | Latin | dēfendere | — |