Etymograph

English

suddenly

Suddenly comes from Middle English sodeynly ‘suddenly, non-gradually’, and goes back to Latin subitus.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitus1‘sudden’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitāneus2‘sudden’
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400sodein2
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sodeyn3‘sudden’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sodeynly4as sodenly‘suddenly’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1569suddenly4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin subitaneus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Middle English sodeyn
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Middle English sodeynly
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English suddenly
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1569, Richard Grafton, Henrye the Fift: “The king before he would take his voyage, sent…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitusWiktionary, Latin subitaneus‘sudden’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubitāneusWiktionary, Middle English sodeyn‘sudden’
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400sodeinWiktionary, Middle English sodeyn
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sodeynWiktionary, Middle English sodeynly‘sudden’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sodeynlyWiktionary, English suddenlyas sodenly‘suddenly’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1569suddenlyWiktionary, English suddenly. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1569, Richard Grafton, Henrye the Fift: “The king before he would take his voyage, sent…”

Explore everything descended from subitus →

No ads, ever. This is how the app stays alive.

Become a founding member, $29 onceWear this word, $32Support the app

Today it means

adv Happening quickly and with little or no warning; in a sudden manner.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “suddenly”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin subitaneus, Middle English sodeyn, Middle English sodeynly. 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 subitus / suddenly