Where does “sir” come from?
sir (Middle English) comes from Middle English sire, from Old French sire, from Vulgar Latin seior, from Latin senior, from Latin senex, from Proto-Indo-European sénos — old.
sir (Middle English): Alternative form of sire
Definitions
- Alternative form of sire
Ancestry of “sir”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sire | Used preceding the name or title of a knight,... |
| 2 | Old French | sire | nominative singular of sieur; master, sir, lord;... |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | seior | — |
| 4 | Latin | senior | older, elder; rather old; a lord, sir; an abbot |
| 5 | Latin | senex | old, aged, elderly; old person, old man, old... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sénos | old |