Where does “esse” come from?
esse (Late Latin) comes from Latin esse, from Ancient Greek οὐσία, from Ancient Greek εἰμί, from Proto-Hellenic ehmi, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ésmi, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ēs- — to be.
Ancestry of “esse”, step by step
esse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin esse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | esse | present infinitive of sum; state, condition;... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | οὐσία | that which is one's own, one's substance,... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | εἰμί | To be, exist; live; To be; it is possible |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | ehmi | to be |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ésmi | first-person singular present indicative of... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ēs- | to be |
via Classical Latin sum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Latin | sum | — |