serious

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*seh₁-
2. Proto-Italic*sēros
3. Latinsērus
4. Proto-Indo-European*swer-
5. Proto-Italic*swerjos?
6. Latinsērius
7. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
8. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
9. Medieval Latinsēriōsus
10. Old Frenchserieux
11. Middle Englishseryows
12. English todayserious

From Middle English seryows, from Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin sēriōsus, an extension of Latin sērius (“grave, earnest, serious”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). (If this root is correct, cognate with German schwer (“heavy, difficult, severe”), Old English swǣr (“heavy, grave, grievous”). More at swear, sweer. (However, see sērius for an alternative derivation of the Latin.)

Words from the same roots