Where does “sect” come from?
Sect derives from Middle English secte, from Old French secte, from Late Latin secta, ultimately from Latin sequī meaning "to follow," tracing back through Proto-Italic sekʷōr to the Proto-Indo-European root sekʷ-.
sect (English): An offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing...
Definitions
- An offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing...
Ancestry of “sect”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | secte | A variety or sort; a category with a... |
| 2 | Old French | secte | a sect in philosophy or religion |
| 3 | Late Latin | secta | a sect in philosophy or religion, a school,... |
| 4 | Latin | sequi | present active infinitive of sequor; follow, come... |
| 5 | Latin | sequor | I follow, come or go after |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | sekʷōr | follow, come/go after |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sékʷetor | to be following |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |