Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fatal” come from?

Fatal derives from Middle French fatal, from Latin fatalis, an adjective formed with the suffix -alis from fatus, the past participle of Latin for, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂-.

fatal (English): Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or...

Definitions

  1. Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or...

Ancestry of “fatal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchfatalfatal
2Latinfatalisof fate, destined, predestined; fatal, deadly
3Latinfātum—
4Latinfātus—
5Latinfor"defective"; I speak, talk, say
6Proto-Italicfāōrspeak
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéh₂tito speak, to be talking

Words derived from “fatal”

  • fatally
  • fatalism
  • fatalistic
  • nonfatal
  • fatalist
  • fatalistically
  • nonfatally
  • fatalness
  • nonfatalistic
  • unfatal
  • non-fatal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰéh₂ti →