Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “second-hand” come from?

second-hand (English) comes from English secondhand, from English second, from Middle French seconder, from Latin secundo, from Latin secundus, from Latin sequor, from Proto-Italic sekʷōr, from Proto-Indo-European sékʷetor — to follow; to see; to say.

second-hand (English): Alternative spelling of secondhand

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of secondhand

Ancestry of “second-hand”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsecondhandNot new; previously owned and used by another;...
2EnglishsecondNumber-two; following after the first one with...
3Middle Frenchseconder—
4Latinsecundodative masculine singular of secundus; dative...
5Latinsecundussecond, the ordinal number after prīmus and...
6LatinsequorI follow, come or go after
7Proto-Italicsekʷōrfollow, come/go after
8Proto-Indo-Europeansékʷetorto be following
9Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

Words derived from “second-hand”

  • second-hander
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- →