Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sureness” come from?

Sureness comes from Middle English surenes, derived from Middle English sure, which comes from Middle French sur, ultimately from Latin securus meaning free from care or anxiety.

sureness (English): The property of being sure, certainty; The...

Definitions

  1. The property of being sure, certainty; The...

Ancestry of “sureness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsurenescertainty, assuredness; protection, safety,...
2Middle Englishsuresafe, protected; fortified, well-defended,...
3Middle Frenchsur—
4Old FrenchseürAlternative form of seur; sure
5Latinsuper"accusative" above, on the top of, upon;...
6Latineks-uper—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupérialternative reconstruction of *upér
8Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
9Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →