errant

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₁ers-“to flow”
2. Latin · derived fromerrantem
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₁ey-“to go”
4. Latin · derived fromiter“a route (including a journey, trip; a course; a path; a road)”
5. Vulgar Latin · derived fromiterāre
6. Old French · derived fromerrant
7. Anglo-Norman · derived fromerraunt
8. Middle English · inherited fromerraunt
9. English todayerrant

From Middle English erraunt [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman erraunt, from Old French errant, the present participle of errer (“to walk (to); to wander (to); (figuratively) to travel, voyage”), and then: * from Vulgar Latin iterāre (compare Late Latin itinerāre, itinerāri (“to travel, voyage”)), from Latin iter (“a route (including a journey, trip; a course; a path; a road)”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”); and * from Latin errantem, the accusative feminine or masculine singular of errāns (“straying, errant; wandering”), the present active participle of errō (“to rove, wander; to get lost, go astray; to err, wander from the truth”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ers- (“to flow”). Doublet of arrant.

Words from the same roots