Where does “monsieur” come from?
Monsieur comes from French monsieur, from Old French sire, from Latin senior, meaning "elder," derived from senex meaning "old."
monsieur (English): A man, especially a French gentleman
Definitions
- A man, especially a French gentleman
Ancestry of “monsieur”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Monsieur | Alternative letter-case form of monsieur Used to... |
| 2 | French | mon | my; Followed by rank, obligatory way of... |
| 3 | French | oncle | uncle |
| 4 | Middle French | oncle | uncle |
| 5 | Old French | oncle | uncle |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | aunclum | — |
| 7 | Latin | avunculus | maternal uncle, mother's brother; mother's... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éwh₂os | maternal grandfather; maternal uncle |