Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “surprisal” come from?

surprisal (English) comes from English surprise, from Middle English surprise, from Middle French surprise, from Old French sorprendre, from Old French sur-, from Latin super-, from Latin super, from Latin eks-uper.

surprisal (English): A surprise attack or ambush; a sudden or...

Definitions

  1. A surprise attack or ambush; a sudden or...

Ancestry of “surprisal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsurpriseSomething unexpected; The feeling that something...
2Middle Englishsurprise—
3Middle FrenchsurpriseAlternative form of surprinse; feminine singular...
4Old Frenchsorprendreto surprise; to seize; to take control of; to...
5Old Frenchsur-over, on top of
6Latinsuper-super-; over, above
7Latinsuper"accusative" above, on the top of, upon;...
8Latineks-uper—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanupérialternative reconstruction of *upér
10Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
11Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →