Etymograph

English

demur

Demur comes from Middle English demuren ‘to delay’, and goes back to Latin moror.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoror
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmoror‘to delay, detain’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmorārīpresent active infinitive of dēmoror
  4. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEdēmorāre
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400demorer
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500demuren‘to delay’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1613demur

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoror
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmoror‘to delay, detain’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmorārīpresent active infinitive of dēmoror
  4. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEdēmorāre
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400demorer
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500demuren‘to delay’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1613demur

Earliest quotation: 1613, Samuel Purchas, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone: “[The Jews believe that God] ſitteth in iudgement, and…”

Linked words

through Latin moror

moratorium, 2 more

Another origin of demur

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mer-‘to die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mr̥yétor‘to die’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moriōr‘to die’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmorior‘die’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmorior‘to die (off)’
  6. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*dēmorōreconstructed
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400demorer‘to stay’
  8. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400demure
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a delay, demur’
  10. Englishtodaydemur

Today it means

verb Chiefly followed by to, and sometimes by at or on: to object or be reluctant; to balk, to take exception.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin moror / demur

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