Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “suffering” come from?

suffering (English) comes from English suffer, from Middle English suffren, from Old French sofrir, from Vulgar Latin sufferire, from Latin sufferō, from Latin ferō, from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti — shiny, light brown.

suffering (English): Experiencing pain; The condition of someone who...

Definitions

  1. Experiencing pain; The condition of someone who...

Ancestry of “suffering”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsufferTo undergo hardship; To feel pain; To become...
2Middle Englishsuffrensuffer
3Old Frenchsofrirto suffer
4Vulgar Latinsufferirepresent active infinitive of *sufferiō
5Latinsufferō—
6Latinferō—
7Proto-Italicferōcarry, bear
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéretito be carrying
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “suffering”

  • longsuffering
  • unsuffering
  • sufferingly
  • nonsuffering
  • sufäl
  • sufälik
  • sufäd
  • sufädik
  • suf
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →