Where does “sudden” come from?
Sudden derives from Middle English sodain, from Old French sodein, from Latin subitaneus, formed from Latin sub- and -aneus, itself built on -anus, all ultimately from Latin sub meaning beneath or under.
sudden (English): Happening quickly and with little or no warning;...
Definitions
- Happening quickly and with little or no warning;...
Ancestry of “sudden”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sodeyn | Sudden; happening or developing without buildup... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | sodein | sudden; quickly with little or no warning |
| 3 | Old French | sodain | — |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | subitanus | sudden |
| 5 | Latin | subitāneus | sudden, unexpected |
| 6 | Latin | subitus | approached; succeeded; occurred |
| 7 | Latin | subeo | I go under, come under; enter; I go up to,... |
| 8 | Latin | eō | to go, to fare, to move (oneself) (any kind of animate or inanimate motion: walk, ride, sail, fly, etc.) |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | eō | I go |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | ejō | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁éyti | to go, to be going |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ey- | to go |