Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “falsehood” come from?

Falsehood comes from Middle English falshede, from the Middle English suffix -hede combined with Middle English falsh, from Latin falsus meaning "deceived or deceptive," ultimately from Proto-Italic falsō.

falsehood (English): The property of being false; A false statement,...

Definitions

  1. The property of being false; A false statement,...

Ancestry of “falsehood”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishfalshedefalseness; falsehood
2Middle EnglishhedeAlternative form of hod; Alternative form of heed
3Middle Englishhēden—
4Old Englishhēdanto heed, take care, observe, attend, guard, take...
5Old Norsehéðanhence
6Old Norsehérhere
7Proto-Germanichē₂rhere, in this place
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
9Middle Englishkyt—
10Germankitt—
11Old High Germankuti—
12Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
13Proto-Germanickweduzresin
14Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
15Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “falsehood”

  • superfalsehood
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →