Where does “sorry” come from?
Sorry derives from Middle English sory, from Old English sāriġ, from Proto-Germanic sairagaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -kos.
sorry (English): Regretful for an action; grieved or saddened,...
Definitions
- Regretful for an action; grieved or saddened,...
Ancestry of “sorry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sory | sad, sorrowful; pitiful, downtrodden, dismal;... |
| 2 | Old English | sāriġ | feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sairagaz | sad; saddened; grieved; sorry |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sairą | wound; sore |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sairaz | sore, painful |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂yro- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂y- | to bind; to be fierce, afflict; to tie, bind |