diffident

Where does the word "diffident" come from? It comes from Latin fides, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Diffident’s story begins in Latin: fides meant “faith, trust.” Faith, trust, giving rise to fidere (to trust), combined with dis- (not). Within Latin, it grew into diffidere by ancient. To distrust, to lack confidence, from dis- and fidere. By ancient, Latin speakers had reshaped it into diffidens. Distrustful, lacking confidence, present participle of diffidere. It reached English by 1400s as diffident. Settled as the English word for someone modest and lacking self-confidence. Today, diffident means modest or shy due to a lack of self-confidence.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fides "faith, trust", faith, trust, giving rise to fidere (to trust), combined with dis- (not).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient diffidere "to distrust, to lack confidence", to distrust, to lack confidence, from dis- and fidere.
3. Stage 3 · Latin · ancient diffidens "distrustful, lacking confidence", distrustful, lacking confidence, present participle of diffidere.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1400s diffident "modest and lacking self-confidence", settled as the English word for someone modest and lacking self-confidence.