Where does “fortune” come from?
Fortune comes from Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna, derived from Latin fors meaning chance or fate, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-.
fortune (English): Destiny, especially favorable; A prediction or...
Definitions
- Destiny, especially favorable; A prediction or...
Ancestry of “fortune”, step by step
fortune traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English fortune
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fortune | fortune fate, chance |
| 2 | Old French | fortune | — |
| 3 | Latin | fortūna | — |
| 4 | Latin | fōrs | luck, chance |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | fortis | luck, chance |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰértis | the act of carrying, bearing |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |
via Portuguese fortuna
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | fortuna | fortune |