Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unarmed” come from?

Unarmed comes from English armed, which derives from Latin arma, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂er-, a root meaning to fit or join together.

unarmed (English): Defenceless and lacking weapons or armour; Not...

Definitions

  1. Defenceless and lacking weapons or armour; Not...

Ancestry of “unarmed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglisharmedEquipped, especially with a weapon; Prepared for...
2EnglishArmAbbreviation of Armenian
3Middle Englisharmarm; poor; miserable, wretched
4Old Englishearmarm; poor, miserable
5Proto-West Germanicarmarm; poor, miserable; pitiful, pitiable
6Proto-Germanicarmazarm; poor, miserable; pitiful, pitiable
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ermos—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

Words derived from “unarmed”

  • unarmedness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- →