Where does “infidelity” come from?
Infidelity comes from Middle French infidélité, from Latin infidelitas (unfaithfulness), formed with the suffix -tas from in- (not) and a root from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- (to trust).
infidelity (English): Unfaithfulness in a marriage or an intimate...
Definitions
- Unfaithfulness in a marriage or an intimate...
Ancestry of “infidelity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | infidélité | — |
| 2 | Latin | infidelitas | unfaithfulness, faithlessness, infidelity |
| 3 | Latin | īnfidēlis | unfaithful |
| 4 | Latin | fidēlis | faithful, loyal |
| 5 | Latin | fidēs | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | feiðos | faithful, reliable |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeydʰos | faithful, trustworthy |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeydʰ- | to compel, force; to trust |