Where does “endeavor” come from?
Endeavor comes from Middle English endeveren, formed from the Latin prefix in- and the verb devērāre, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European de-.
endeavor (English): A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous...
Definitions
- A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous...
Ancestry of “endeavor”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | endeveren | to make an effort |
| 2 | Ladino | dever | to have to; should; must |
| 3 | Old Spanish | dever | — |
| 4 | Latin | dēbeō | to owe something, to be under obligation to and for something |
| 5 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 6 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 7 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 8 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |