Etymograph

English

infortunate

Infortunate comes from Latin infortūnātus ‘unfortunate’, from fortūnātus ‘fortunate’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fortūnāreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfortūna‘fortune, luck’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfortūnō‘make prosperous’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfortūnātus‘fortunate’perfect passive participle of fortūnō
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinfortūnātus‘unfortunate’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500infortunat(e)
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1591infortunate

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fortūnāreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfortūna‘fortune, luck’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfortūnō‘make prosperous’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfortūnātus‘fortunate’perfect passive participle of fortūnō
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinfortūnātus‘unfortunate’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500infortunat(e)
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1591infortunate

Earliest quotation: 1591, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]: “Henry, though he be infortunate”.

first attested The adjective is first attested circa 1390, in Middle English, the verb in 1570; inherited from Middle English infortunat(e), borrowed from Latin infortūnātus, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3) (as stated in the etymology)

The story

The adjective is first attested circa 1390, in Middle English, the verb in 1570; inherited from Middle English infortunat(e), borrowed from Latin infortūnātus, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’

different, offer, difference, bar, reference, transfer, bear, birth, prefer, broad, bread, suffer, relative, translation, burden, barrel, relation, extraordinary, differ, barn, referendum, relate, fury, baron, breeze, referee, frustration, bark, bore, translate, fertility, borne, fertile, broom, extravagant, barrow, embargo, fret, berth, defer, 158 more

through Latin fortūna ‘fortune, luck’

fortune, 2 more

Today it means

adj Unfortunate, unlucky.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / infortunate

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