Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unsportsmanlike” come from?

unsportsmanlike (English) comes from English sportsmanlike, from English sportsman, from English sports, from English sport, from Middle English sport, from Middle English disport, from Old French desport, from Old French deport — spring.

unsportsmanlike (English): violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship

Definitions

  1. violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship

Ancestry of “unsportsmanlike”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsportsmanlikeDemonstrating good sportsmanship, behaving in an...
2EnglishsportsmanA man who engages in sports; a male athlete; A...
3Englishsportsplural of sport; Third-person singular simple...
4EnglishsportAny activity that uses physical exertion or...
5Middle Englishsport—
6Middle Englishdisport—
7Old FrenchdesportAlternative form of deport
8Old Frenchdeportenjoyment; fun
9Latindeportō—
10Latindē-—
11Latindē—
12Latinverumtruly; even so; but; yet; however; still
13Latinvēr—
14Latinveror—
15Proto-Italicwezorspring
Every word from Proto-Italic wezor →