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
- Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or...
Ancestry of “fatal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | fatal | fatal due to fate |
| 2 | Latin | fatalis | of fate, destined, predestined; fatal, deadly |
| 3 | Latin | fātum | destiny, fate, lot |
| 4 | Latin | fātus | spoken, said, told, foretold, related, predicted; having or had spoken, etc |
| 5 | Latin | for | "defective"; I speak, talk, say |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | fāōr | speak |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéh₂ti | to speak, to be talking |