English
diffident
Diffident comes from Latin diffidō ‘to mistrust’, from fīdō ‘to trust, put confidence in’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeydʰ-‘to trust’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéydʰeti‘to trust’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*feiðō‘to trust’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīdō‘to trust, put confidence in’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffidōas diffīdere, present participle‘to mistrust’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffīdentem
- Englishearliest quotation 1749diffident
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeydʰ-‘to trust’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéydʰeti‘to trust’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*feiðō‘to trust’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīdō‘to trust, put confidence in’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffidōas diffīdere, present participle‘to mistrust’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffīdentem
- Englishearliest quotation 1749diffident
Earliest quotation: 1749, Henry Fielding, London: A[ndrew] Millar: “Having therefore—but hold, as we are diffident of our…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- ‘to trust’
federal, federation, confederate, defy, defiance, fidelity, bode, foi, fealty, infidel, confidante, perfidy, 25 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéydʰeti ‘to trust’
through Latin fīdō ‘to trust, put confidence in’
confidence, confident, affidavit, fiduciary, confidant, confide, 3 more
Today it means
adj Lacking confidence in others; distrustful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- / diffident