Where does “sophomore” come from?
Sophomore comes from English sophom, which derives from an unknown origin and meaning.
sophomore (English): The second in a series, especially, the second of...
Definitions
- The second in a series, especially, the second of...
Ancestry of “sophomore”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sophumer | A student in the second year of a four-year college |
| 2 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 3 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 4 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 5 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |