Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “desperately” come from?

Desperately derives from Middle English desperatly, from Latin desperāre meaning "to lose hope," composed of the prefix de- and a root ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.

desperately (English): In a desperate manner; without regard to danger...

Definitions

  1. In a desperate manner; without regard to danger...

Ancestry of “desperately”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdesperateIn dire need of something; Being filled with, or...
2Latindēspērātus—
3Latindēsperō—
4Esperanto-oNominal suffix. Most Esperanto nouns end in "-o";...
5Spanish-óA suffix indicating the third-person singular...
6LatinAramaicus—
7Ancient GreekἈραμαϊκός—
8AramaicܐܪܡܝܐAramean; gentile
9Aramaicארמיא—
10Aramaicארם—
Every word from Aramaic ארם →