Etymology Map
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Error

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a mistake

Where does the word "error" come from? It comes from Latin error, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
error
Latin · ancient
"wandering, mistake"
from 'errare', to wander, the root of 'errant' and 'erratic'
2
Stage 2 of 3
errour
Old French · medieval
"mistake"
knights-errant wandered in search of adventure
3
Stage 3 of 3
error
English · 1300s
"a mistake"
computer 'error messages' date from the 1960s
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Read the full story

Error’s story begins in Latin: error meant “wandering, mistake.” From 'errare', to wander, the root of 'errant' and 'erratic'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as errour. Knights-errant wandered in search of adventure. It reached English by 1300s as error. Computer 'error messages' date from the 1960s. Today, error means a mistake.