Where does “insecurity” come from?
Insecurity derives from English secure, Latin insecūritas (lack of safety), formed from Latin in- (not) and secūritas (freedom from care), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to sit or dwell.
insecurity (English): A lack of security; uncertainty; The state of...
Definitions
- A lack of security; uncertainty; The state of...
Ancestry of “insecurity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | insecure | Not secure; Not comfortable or confident in... |
| 2 | English | secure | Free from attack or danger; protected; Free from... |
| 3 | Middle English | securite | security, safety; comfort, the state of being... |
| 4 | Middle French | securité | — |
| 5 | Latin | sēcūritās | security, safety |
| 6 | Latin | sēcūrus | careless, negligent |
| 7 | Latin | sē- | apart-; aside-; away |
| 8 | Latin | sex | six; 6 |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | seks | six |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | swéḱs | six |