Where does “timidity” come from?
Timidity comes from French timide, from Latin timidus meaning fearful, plus the Latin suffix -itas forming abstract nouns.
timidity (English): shyness
Definitions
- shyness
Ancestry of “timidity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | timid | Lacking in courage or confidence |
| 2 | Middle French | timide | — |
| 3 | Latin | timidus | fearful, afraid, apprehensive, timid; cowardly |
| 4 | Latin | timeō | to fear, be afraid of, apprehend, be apprehensive of |
| 5 | Latin | Tīmaeus | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Τῑ́μαιος | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | τῑμάω | to pay honor to; to hold in honor; to treat honorably; to honor; to revere |