Where does “certain” come from?

certain (Old French) comes from Vulgar Latin certanus, from Latin certus, from Proto-Indo-European krey- — to sift, separate, divide.

certain (Old French): certain; sure

Definitions

  1. certain; sure

Ancestry of “certain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vulgar Latincertanuscertain
2Latincertuscertain; fixed, settled, firm; resolved,...
3Proto-Indo-Europeankrey-to sift, separate, divide

Words derived from “certain”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European krey- →Every word from Latin certus →Every word from Vulgar Latin certanus →
certain — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer