Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “certeinly” come from?

certeinly (Middle English) comes from Middle English certein, from Old French certain, from Vulgar Latin certanus, from Latin certus, from Proto-Indo-European krey- — to sift, separate, divide.

certeinly (Middle English): certainly; with certainty

Definitions

  1. certainly; with certainty

Ancestry of “certeinly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishcerteinAlternative form of certeyn
2Old Frenchcertaincertain; sure
3Vulgar Latincertanuscertain
4Latincertuscertain; fixed, settled, firm; resolved,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeankrey-to sift, separate, divide
Every word from Proto-Indo-European krey- →