Where does “traitor” come from?
Traitor comes from Middle English traitour, from Old French traitor, from Latin traditor meaning one who betrays, derived from tradere meaning to hand over, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₂- meaning to cross or overcome.
traitor (English): Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays...
Definitions
- Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays...
Ancestry of “traitor”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | traitor | — |
| 2 | Old French | traïtor | Alternative form of traitor |
| 3 | Latin | trāditor | betrayer, traitor |
| 4 | Latin | trādō | to hand over, give up, deliver, transmit, surrender; impart; entrust, confide |
| 5 | Latin | trāns | across, beyond |
| 6 | Latin | Padus | the River Po |
| 7 | Lepontic | Bodincus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰmḗn | bottom |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |