Where does “errant” come from?
Errant comes from Middle English erraunt, from Anglo-Norman erraunt, from Old French errant meaning "wandering," from Latin errans, the present participle of errāre meaning "to wander or stray."
errant (English): Straying from the proper course or standard, or...
Definitions
- Straying from the proper course or standard, or...
Ancestry of “errant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | erraunt | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | erraunt | Alternative form of errant |
| 3 | Old French | errant | wandering; nomadic |
| 4 | Old French | errer | to walk (to); to wander (to) |
| 5 | Latin | errantem | accusative masculine singular of errāns;... |
| 6 | Latin | errō | to wander, rove, stray, roam |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | erzāō | roam, wander; go astray, waver |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ers- | to flow |