Where does “second” come from?
Second comes from Middle French seconder, derived from Latin secundo, the first person singular present of secundus, which developed from Latin sequor meaning "to follow," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- meaning "to follow."
second (English): Number-two; following after the first one with...
Definitions
- Number-two; following after the first one with...
Ancestry of “second”, step by step
second traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French seconder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | seconder | — |
| 2 | Latin | secundo | dative masculine singular of secundus; dative... |
| 3 | Latin | secundus | second, the ordinal number after prīmus and... |
| 4 | Latin | sequor | I follow, come or go after |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | sekʷōr | follow, come/go after |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sékʷetor | to be following |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |
via Middle English secunde
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | secunde | Second; following the first in a order or array;... |
| 2 | Old French | seconde | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | secunda | inflection of secundus: ## feminine... |
| 4 | Latin | secunda pars minuta | second diminished part |