Etymograph

English

senior

Senior comes from Latin senior ‘older’, from senex ‘old’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sénos.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sénos‘old’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*seneksreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsenex‘old’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsenior‘older’comparative form of senex
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1526same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sénos‘old’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*seneksreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsenex‘old’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsenior‘older’comparative form of senex
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1526same form

Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “Then Peter full of the holy gooſt ſayd vnto…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *seneks

senatorial, 8 more

through Latin senex ‘old’

senate, senator, monsignor, senile, signore, signoria, senescent, sene, 9 more

through Latin senior ‘older’

sir, sire, signora, seigneur, 7 more

Today it means

adj Older.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sénos / senior

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