Where does “misfortune” come from?
Misfortune comes from Middle English mis- combined with fortune, which derives from Latin fortuna, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to carry or bear.
misfortune (English): bad luck; an undesirable event such as an...
Definitions
- bad luck; an undesirable event such as an...
Ancestry of “misfortune”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fortune | Destiny, especially favorable; A prediction or... |
| 2 | Middle English | fortune | fortune fate, chance |
| 3 | Old French | fortune | — |
| 4 | Latin | fortūna | — |
| 5 | Latin | fōrs | luck, chance |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | fortis | luck, chance |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰértis | the act of carrying, bearing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |