Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “esperer” come from?

esperer (Middle French) comes from Old French esperer, from Latin spērō, from Latin spes, from Proto-Italic spēs, from Proto-Indo-European spéh₁s, from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- — to succeed, to prosper.

esperer (Middle French): to hope

Definitions

  1. to hope

Ancestry of “esperer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchespererto hope
2Latinspērō—
3Latinspeshope; expectation, anticipation, apprehension
4Proto-Italicspēshope
5Proto-Indo-Europeanspéh₁sprosperity, success
6Proto-Indo-Europeanspeh₁-to succeed, to prosper
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- →