discourse

The story

1. Middle French · derived fromcours“course”
2. Latin · derived fromdiscurrō“run about”
3. Latin · derived fromdiscursus“the act of running about”
4. Middle French · derived fromdiscours“conversation, speech”
5. Middle English · inherited fromdiscours
6. English todaydiscourse

From Middle English discours, borrowed from Middle French discours (“conversation, speech”), from Latin discursus (“the act of running about”), from Latin discurrō (“run about”), from dis- (“apart”) + currō (“run”). Spelling modified by influence of Middle French cours (“course”). Doublet of discursus.

Words from the same roots