Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “transitory” come from?

Transitory comes from Middle French transitoire, from Latin transitorius, derived from Latin transitus meaning "passage," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₂- meaning "to cross."

transitory (English): Lasting only a short time; temporary; Of an...

Definitions

  1. Lasting only a short time; temporary; Of an...

Ancestry of “transitory”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchtransitoire—
2Latintransitoriustransitory
3Latintransituspassage, crossing; transition; transit
4Latinitusa going, departure; a gait; the right of way,...
5Latineō—
6Proto-ItaliceōI go
7Proto-Italicejō—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁éytito go, to be going
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ey-to go

Words derived from “transitory”

  • transitoriness
  • transitorily
  • nontransitory
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ey- →