English
suitor
Suitor comes from Anglo-Norman suytour, from Late Latin secutor ‘follower, pursuer’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sekʷ-‘to follow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sékʷetor‘to be following’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sekʷōr‘to follow, come/go after’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsequor‘to follow’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsecutor‘follower, pursuer’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400suytour
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sutour‘a believer in ideas’
- Englishearliest quotation 1999suitor
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sekʷ-‘to follow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sékʷetor‘to be following’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sekʷōr‘to follow, come/go after’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsequor‘to follow’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsecutor‘follower, pursuer’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400suytour
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sutour‘a believer in ideas’
- Englishearliest quotation 1999suitor
Earliest quotation: 1999, Martha Craven Nussbaum, Sex and Social Justice: “(Notice that "Lysias" begins from the realistic assumption that…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- ‘to follow’
see, say, second, social, saw, society, executive, sight, associate, subsequent, consequence, consequently, sue, saga, intrinsic, suite, sequential, sequestration, dissociation, extrinsic, sequester, dissociate, seg, 31 more
through Latin sequor ‘to follow’
sequence, consecutive, prosecution, pursue, sequel, execute, persecution, sect, pursuit, consequent, persecute, ensue, executor, segue, sequitur, 17 more
Today it means
noun One who pursues someone, especially a woman, for a romantic relationship or marriage; a wooer; one who falls in love with or courts someone.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- / suitor