Where does “unsure” come from?
Unsure comes from English sure, which derives from Latin securus meaning "free from care," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European óynos and ano-.
unsure (English): uncertain; unstable or precarious
Definitions
- uncertain; unstable or precarious
Ancestry of “unsure”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sure | Physically secure and certain, non-failing,... |
| 2 | Middle English | sure | safe, protected; fortified, well-defended,... |
| 3 | Middle French | sur | — |
| 4 | Old French | seür | Alternative form of seur; sure |
| 5 | Latin | super | "accusative" above, on the top of, upon;... |
| 6 | Latin | eks-uper | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upéri | alternative reconstruction of *upér |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |