Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “seigneur” come from?

Seigneur derives from Middle French seigneur, from Old French seignor, from Latin senior, the comparative form of senex meaning "old," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sénos.

seigneur (English): A French feudal lord; a noble; The hereditary...

Definitions

  1. A French feudal lord; a noble; The hereditary...

Ancestry of “seigneur”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchseigneurlord; sire
2Old Frenchseignorlord; sire; master
3Latinseniorolder, elder; rather old; a lord, sir; an abbot
4Latinsenexold, aged, elderly; old person, old man, old...
5Proto-Indo-Europeansénosold

Words derived from “seigneur”

  • seigneurial
  • seigneurialism
  • seigneuress
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sénos →