Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “persecutor” come from?

persecutor (English) comes from Middle English persecutour, from Latin persecutor, from Latin persequor, from Latin sequor, from Proto-Italic sekʷōr, from Proto-Indo-European sékʷetor, from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- — to follow; to see; to say.

persecutor (English): A person or thing that persecutes or harasses

Definitions

  1. A person or thing that persecutes or harasses

Ancestry of “persecutor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpersecutour—
2Latinpersecutorpursuer; persecutor of Christians
3LatinpersequorI follow perseveringly, continue to follow;...
4LatinsequorI follow, come or go after
5Proto-Italicsekʷōrfollow, come/go after
6Proto-Indo-Europeansékʷetorto be following
7Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

Words derived from “persecutor”

  • persecutress
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- →