Where does “surprise” come from?
surprise (Middle English) comes from Middle French surprise, from Old French sorprendre, from Old French sur-, from Latin super-, from Latin super, from Latin eks-uper, from Proto-Indo-European upéri, from Proto-Indo-European upér.
Ancestry of “surprise”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | surprise | Alternative form of surprinse; feminine singular... |
| 2 | Old French | sorprendre | to surprise; to seize; to take control of; to... |
| 3 | Old French | sur- | over, on top of |
| 4 | Latin | super- | super-; over, above |
| 5 | Latin | super | "accusative" above, on the top of, upon;... |
| 6 | Latin | eks-uper | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upéri | alternative reconstruction of *upér |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |