Where does “semi-single” come from?

semi-single (English) comes from English single, from Middle English single, from Old French sengle, from Late Latin cingula, from Latin Cingulum, from Latin -ulum, from Proto-Indo-European -tlom, from Proto-Indo-European -trom — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

semi-single (English): More or less single; not in a serious long-term romantic or sexual relationship

Definitions

  1. More or less single; not in a serious long-term romantic or sexual relationship

Ancestry of “semi-single”, step by step

semi-single traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English single

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsingleNot accompanied by anything else; one in number;...
2Middle Englishsingle
3Old Frenchsenglesingle; alone; alone; in an unaccompanied way
4Late Latincingulanominative/accusative/vocative plural of cingulum
5LatinCingulumsituated on a lofty hill, now Cingoli
6Latin-ulumUsed to form a noun of instrument or means from a...
7Proto-Indo-European-tlomAlternative form of *-trom
8Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
9Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

via English semi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsemiA semi-detached house; A semitrailer; a...
2Englishsemi-half; partial, incomplete; somewhat, rather,...
3Latinsēmi-half
4Proto-Indo-Europeansēmihalf; partially
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr