Where does “sir” come from?
Sir comes from Middle English sire, from Old French sire, from Latin senior, the comparative form of senex meaning old or elder.
sir (English): A man of a higher rank or position; A respectful...
Definitions
- A man of a higher rank or position; A respectful...
Ancestry of “sir”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sir | Alternative form of sire |
| 2 | Middle English | sire | Used preceding the name or title of a knight,... |
| 3 | Old French | sire | nominative singular of sieur; master, sir, lord;... |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | seior | — |
| 5 | Latin | senior | older, elder; rather old; a lord, sir; an abbot |
| 6 | Latin | senex | old, aged, elderly; old person, old man, old... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sénos | old |