Where does “delinquent” come from?
Delinquent comes from Middle French délinquant, from Latin delinquens, the present participle of delinquo, composed of Latin de- and a root from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ-.
delinquent (English): Late or failing to pay a debt or other financial...
Definitions
- Late or failing to pay a debt or other financial...
Ancestry of “delinquent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | délinquant | — |
| 2 | Latin | dēlinquēns | transgressing; offending; erring |
| 3 | Latin | delinquo | I fail in my duty; I am wanting, lacking; I... |
| 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 |