Where does “sincere” come from?

Sincere comes from Middle French sincere, from Latin sincerus, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European sem- meaning together, blended with Latin cresco meaning to grow.

sincere (English): Genuine; meaning what one says or does;...

Definitions

  1. Genuine; meaning what one says or does;...

Ancestry of “sincere”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchsinceresincere (genuinely meaning what one says or does)
2Latinsincērusclean, pure, sound
3Proto-Italicsenkairos—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
6Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

Words derived from “sincere”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kr̥- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱer- →