Etymology

happenstantial

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Today it means: Being or relating to happenstance. Full definition →

English circumstantial ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← Latin circumstantia
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kob-
  2. Proto-Germanic*hampą
  3. Proto-Germanic*hampijaną
  4. Old Norse*happader.?
  5. Proto-Germanic*hampijaną
  6. Old Norse*heppader.?
  7. Old Englishhæppander.?
  8. Middle Englishhappen
  9. Middle Englishhappenen
  10. Englishhappen
  11. Englishhappening
  12. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-
  13. Ancient Greekκίρκος (kírkos)
  14. Latincircus
  15. Latincircum
  16. Latincircum-
  17. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  18. Proto-Indo-European*sth₂éh₁yeti
  19. Proto-Italic*staējō
  20. Proto-Italic*staēō
  21. Latinstō
  22. Latincircumstō
  23. Latincircumstāns
  24. Latincircumstāntia
  25. Old Frenchcirconstance
  26. Middle Englishcircumstaunce
  27. Englishcircumstance
  28. Englishhappenstance
  29. Latincircumstantia
  30. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  31. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  32. Englishcircumstantial
  33. English todayhappenstantial

Blend of happenstance + circumstantial. Equivalent to happenstance + -ial.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.