Etymograph

English

sir

Sir comes from Old French sire ‘master, sir, lord’, from Latin senior ‘older, elder’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sénos ‘old’.

  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’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400sire‘master’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sir
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1967same 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’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400sire‘master’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sir
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1967same form

Earliest quotation: 1967, I, Mudd (Star Trek) (Science Fiction): “Knowledge, sir, should be free to all!”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *seneks

senatorial, senescent, 8 more

through Latin senex ‘old’

senate, senator, senile, monsignor, sene, signore, signoria, 10 more

through Latin senior ‘older, elder’

senior, seigneur, signora, 7 more

through Old French sire ‘master, sir, lord’

sire

Today it means

noun A man of a higher rank or position.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sénos / sir

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