English
sincerity
Sincerity comes from Latin sincēritās ‘soundness, wholeness’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sem-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-‘one, whole’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*senkairosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsincērus‘clean, pure, sound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsincēritās‘soundness, wholeness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sincerité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sinceritie
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604sincerity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-‘one, whole’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*senkairosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsincērus‘clean, pure, sound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsincēritās‘soundness, wholeness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sincerité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sinceritie
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604sincerity
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice: “I protest, in the sincerity of love.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one, whole’
some, same, seem, single, similar, simple, simply, soft, sam, simulation, resemble, assemble, anomaly, singular, simultaneous, resemblance, simulate, anomalous, assimilate, homeopathic, semblance, synapse, homology, hyphen, simile, sempre, homolog, simulacrum, synchronise, 47 more
through Latin sincērus ‘clean, pure, sound’
Today it means
noun The quality or state of being sincere.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sem- / sincerity