Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “traitorous” come from?

Traitorous comes from Anglo-Norman traiterous, meaning one who betrays, derived from a base meaning to hand over or deliver.

traitorous (English): Characteristic of a traitor; disloyal;...

Definitions

  1. Characteristic of a traitor; disloyal;...

Ancestry of “traitorous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtrayterous—
2Anglo-Normantraiterous—

Words derived from “traitorous”

  • traitorously
  • traitorousness
  • traitourous
  • traitourously
  • untraitorous
Every word from Anglo-Norman traiterous →