Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sans” come from?

Sans comes from Middle English sans, from Old French sens meaning "without," from Latin sine meaning "without," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁es- meaning "to be."

sans (English): without; lacking; Short for sans serif; plural of...

Definitions

  1. without; lacking; Short for sans serif; plural of...

Ancestry of “sans”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsaunzwithout, lacking, sans
2Old Frenchsenzwithout
3Latinabsentiaabsence
4Latinabsēns—
5LatinabsumI am away, I am absent, I am distant
6Latinab-from, away, away from; off; at a distance
7Latināb—
8Proto-Germanic*ab—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanapó—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European apó →