Where does “informal” come from?
Informal derives from Middle English in- plus Latin -alis attached to Latin in, ultimately tracing to Ancient Greek μορφή and Proto-Indo-European en.
informal (English): Not formal or ceremonious; Not in accord with the...
Definitions
- Not formal or ceremonious; Not in accord with the...
Ancestry of “informal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | formal | Being in accord with established forms; Official;... |
| 2 | Middle English | formel | — |
| 3 | Old French | formel | — |
| 4 | Latin | formālis | formal |
| 5 | French | -ïsme | -ism, variant of -isme following vowels |
| 6 | Latin | -isma | Alternative form of -ismus; -ism |
| 7 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |