Where does “errant” come from?

errant (Old French) comes from Old French errer, from Latin errantem, from Latin errō, from Proto-Italic erzāō, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ers- — to flow.

errant (Old French): wandering; nomadic

Definitions

  1. wandering; nomadic

Ancestry of “errant”, step by step

errant traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French errer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frencherrerto walk (to); to wander (to)
2Latinerrantemaccusative masculine singular of errāns;...
3Latinerrōto wander, rove, stray, roam
4Proto-Italicerzāōroam, wander; go astray, waver
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ers-to flow

via Latin iterō

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latiniterōto do a second time, repeat, renew
2Latiniterumagain, anew; a second time
3Proto-Indo-Europeani-tero-other
4Proto-Indo-Europeanéythe; demonstrative pronoun; this one, he
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁e-

via Latin errans

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinerransstraying; wandering

Words derived from “errant

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ers-Every word from Proto-Italic erzāōEvery word from Latin errō