Where does “secret” come from?
Secret comes from Middle English secrette, from Old French secret, from Latin secretus meaning "set apart," derived from Latin secerno meaning "to separate," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to sift" and "one's own."
secret (English): A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended...
Definitions
- A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended...
Ancestry of “secret”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | secrette | — |
| 2 | Old French | secret | — |
| 3 | Latin | sēcrētus | put apart, sundered, severed, separated, having been separated |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀγωγός | leading, guiding; guide, escort; leading to |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἄγω | to lead, fetch, bring along (a living creature), take with |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | ágō | to lead, to guide |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éǵeti | to be driving |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |