Where does “happenstance” come from?
happenstance (English) comes from English circumstance, from Middle English circumstaunce, from Old French circonstance, from Latin circumstantia, from Latin circumstans, from Latin circumsto, from Latin circum-, from Latin circum — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.
happenstance (English): The chance or random quality of an event or...
Definitions
- The chance or random quality of an event or...
Ancestry of “happenstance”, step by step
happenstance traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English circumstance
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | circumstance | That which attends, or relates to, or in some way... |
| 2 | Middle English | circumstaunce | — |
| 3 | Old French | circonstance | — |
| 4 | Latin | circumstantia | surrounding; encircling troops; circumstance |
| 5 | Latin | circumstans | surrounding, encircling |
| 6 | Latin | circumsto | I stand around, or in a circle; I surround or... |
| 7 | Latin | circum- | circum- round, about |
| 8 | Latin | circum | about, around; in a circle, all around, on both... |
| 9 | Latin | circus | a circular line or orbit; circle, ring; a... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | κρίκος | ring |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |