Etymograph

English

sudden

Sudden comes from Middle English sodeyn, from Anglo-Norman sodein, from Old French sodain, from Latin subitāneus, from subitus ‘sudden’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubeō1‘to come stealthily’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitus2‘sudden’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitāneus1‘sudden’uncertain
  4. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*subitānus1uncertain
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400sodain1uncertain
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400sodein1uncertain
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sodeyn1‘sudden’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1552sudden1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English sudden
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin subitaneus
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1552, The Boke of Common Prayer etc.: “From lightninges and tempeſtes, from plage, peſtilence, and famine,…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubeōWiktionary, English sudden‘to come stealthily’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitusWiktionary, Latin subitaneus‘sudden’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitāneusWiktionary, English sudden‘sudden’uncertain
  4. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*subitānusWiktionary, English suddenuncertain
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400sodainWiktionary, English suddenuncertain
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400sodeinWiktionary, English suddenuncertain
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sodeynWiktionary, English sudden‘sudden’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1552suddenWiktionary, English sudden. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1552, The Boke of Common Prayer etc.: “From lightninges and tempeſtes, from plage, peſtilence, and famine,…”

Every English word from Latin subeō

Today it means

adj Occurring quickly with little or no warning or expectation; instantly.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sudden”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin subitaneus. 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 / Latin subeō / sudden

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