second

second · adjective, adverb, noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*sekʷ-
2. Proto-Italic*sekʷondo-
3. Latinsecundu
4. Old Frenchsecond
5. Middle Englishsecunde
6. English todaysecond

From Middle English secunde, second, secound, secund, borrowed from Old French second, seond, from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”), from root of sequor (“to follow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Doublet of secund and secundo. Displaced native twoth and partially displaced native other (from Old English ōþer (“other; next; second”)).

second · noun²

1. Old Frenchseconde
2. Middle Englishsecunde
3. English todaysecond

From Middle English secunde, seconde, borrowed from Old French seconde, from Medieval Latin secunda, short for secunda pars minuta (“second diminished part (of the hour)”).

second · verb, noun³

1. Latin · derived fromsecundō“assist, make favorable”
2. Middle French · derived fromseconder
3. English todaysecond

From Middle French seconder, from Latin secundō (“assist, make favorable”).

Words from the same roots