Etymograph

English

succour

Succour comes from Middle English socour ‘succor, aid, help, protection’, from Medieval Latin succursus ‘helped’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- ‘to run’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzō‘to run’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrōas currere‘run’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccurrēre‘to run to the help of’
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500succursus‘helped’
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400socurs
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500socour‘succor, aid, help, protection’
  9. Englishearliest quotation a. 1530succour

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzō‘to run’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrōas currere‘run’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccurrēre‘to run to the help of’
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500succursus‘helped’
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400socurs
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500socour‘succor, aid, help, protection’
  9. Englishearliest quotation a. 1530succour

Earliest quotation: a. 1530, John Skelton, A Little Boke of Philip Sparow: “[M]y maystres / Of whome I thinke / With…”

The story

The noun is derived from Middle English socour, interpreted as the singular form of socours (‘help; encouragement; remedy; protection; helper, protector’), which is from Anglo-Norman socurs, sucurs and Old French secors, secours (modern French secours), from Medieval Latin succursus (participle), from Latin succurrēre (‘to run to the help of’), from Latin sub- (‘from below’) + Latin currere (‘run’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- ‘to run’

career, charge, carry, rush, carrier, cargo, hurry, carriage, occurrence, chariot, intercourse, carousel, caricature, corral, recourse, recursive, hurrah, cursory, carrack, 34 more

through Proto-Italic *korzō ‘to run’

corridor, discourse, concurrent, courier, recurrent, incursion, concourse, 19 more

through Latin currō ‘run’

current, course, currency, occur, curriculum, precursor, incur, cursor, concur, corsair, recursion, recur, hussar, courant, 24 more

Today it means

noun Aid, assistance, or relief given to one in distress; ministration.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- / succour

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