Where does “sorry” come from?
sorry (Middle English) comes from Old English sāriġ, from Proto-Germanic sairagaz, from Proto-Germanic sairą, from Proto-Germanic sairaz, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂yro-, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂y- — to bind; to be fierce, afflict; to tie, bind.
sorry (Middle English): Alternative form of sorre; Alternative form of...
Definitions
- Alternative form of sorre; Alternative form of...
Ancestry of “sorry”, step by step
sorry traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English sāriġ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | sāriġ | feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved,... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | sairagaz | sad; saddened; grieved; sorry |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sairą | wound; sore |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sairaz | sore, painful |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂yro- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂y- | to bind; to be fierce, afflict; to tie, bind |
via Anglo-Norman soree
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | soree | — |