error

The story

1. Latin · derived fromerror“wandering about”
2. Old French · derived fromerror
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromerrour
4. Middle English · inherited fromerrour
5. English todayerror

From Middle English errour, from Anglo-Norman errour, borrowed from Old French error, from Latin error (“wandering about”, noun), derived from the verb errō (“to wander, to err”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌴𐌹 (airzei, “error”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (airzjan, “to lead astray”). More at err. By surface analysis, err + -or (suffix forming nouns of quality, state, or condition). Displaced native Old English dwild (“error”).