Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “confessen” come from?

confessen (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin cōnfessus, from Latin cōnfiteor, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Ancestry of “confessen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-Normanconfesserto confess; to promise; to swear
2Old Frenchconfesserto confess; to promise; to swear
3Latincōnfessus—
4Latincōnfiteor—
5Latincōn-—
6Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
7Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
8Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “confessen”

  • confess
  • fess
  • confesseth
  • unconfessable
  • confessest
  • fesswise
  • confessable
  • reconfess
  • confessive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →