Where does “fidelity” come from?

Fidelity comes from Middle French fidélité, derived from Latin fidelitas (formed with the suffix -tas from Latin fides, meaning trust or faith), which traces to Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ- and bʰeydʰ-.

fidelity (English): Faithfulness to one's duties; Loyalty to one's...

Definitions

  1. Faithfulness to one's duties; Loyalty to one's...

Ancestry of “fidelity”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchfidélité—
2Latinfidēlitāsfaithfulness, fidelity
3Latinfidēlisfaithful, loyal
4Latinfidēs—
5Proto-Italicfeiðosfaithful, reliable
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeydʰosfaithful, trustworthy
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeydʰ-to compel, force; to trust

Words derived from “fidelity”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- →
fidelity — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer