Where does “demure” come from?
Demure comes from Middle English demure, from Old French meur, from Latin maturus meaning ripe or mature, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European meh₂-.
demure (English): Quiet, modest, reserved, sober, or serious;...
Definitions
- Quiet, modest, reserved, sober, or serious;...
Ancestry of “demure”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | demure | grave, serious, modest |
| 2 | Old French | demore | — |
| 3 | Old French | demorer | to stay; to remain |
| 4 | Latin | dēmorō | — |
| 5 | Latin | demorior | I die; I depart |
| 6 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 7 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 8 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 9 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |