difficulty

The story

1. Latin · derived fromdifficultas
2. Anglo-Norman · derived fromdifficulte
3. Middle English · inherited fromdifficulte
4. English todaydifficulty

From Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- + facile + -ty. Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.

Words from the same roots