umpire

The story

1. Latin · derived frompar“equal”
2. Old French · derived fromnonper“odd number, not even (as a tie-breaking arbitrator)”
3. English todayumpire

From a Middle English rebracketing of a noumper as an oumper, from Old French nonper (“odd number, not even (as a tie-breaking arbitrator)”), from non (“not”) + per (“equal”), from Latin par (“equal”).

Words from the same roots