certain

The story

1. Latin · derived fromcertus“fixed, resolved, certain”
2. Old French · derived fromcertain
3. Middle English · inherited fromcerteyn
4. English todaycertain

From Middle English certeyn, certein, certain, borrowed from Old French certain, from a Vulgar Latin unattested form *certānus, extended form of Latin certus (“fixed, resolved, certain”), of the same origin as cretus, past participle of cernere (“to separate, perceive, decide”). Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ġewiss (“certain, sure”)) and alternative Middle English spelling sertane (“some, certain”).

Words from the same roots