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-1‘to run’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-ti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzō1‘to run’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrō2as currere‘run’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccurrēre2‘to run to the help of’
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500succursus2‘helped’
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400socurs2
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500socour2‘succor, aid, help, protection’
  9. Englishearliest quotation a. 1530succour2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin curro
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English succour
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1530, John Skelton, A Little Boke of Philip Sparow: “[M]y maystres / Of whome I thinke / With…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-Wiktionary, Latin curro‘to run’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-tiWiktionary, Latin curroreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzōWiktionary, Latin curro‘to run’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrōWiktionary, English succouras currere‘run’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccurrēreWiktionary, English succour‘to run to the help of’
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500succursusWiktionary, English succour‘helped’
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400socursWiktionary, English succour
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500socourWiktionary, English succour‘succor, aid, help, protection’
  9. Englishearliest quotation a. 1530succourWiktionary, English succour. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 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’).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

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.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “succour”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin curro. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

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

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