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Where does the word "hesitate" come from? It comes from Latin haesitare, and was adopted directly into English (1620s).
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Where does the word "hesitate" come from? It comes from Latin haesitare, and was adopted directly into English (1620s).
Hesitate’s story begins in Latin: haesitare meant “to stick fast.” A frequentative of 'haerere', to stick, the root of 'adhere'. It reached English by 1620s as hesitate. 'he who hesitates is lost' dates from the 1700s. Today, hesitate means to pause before acting.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient haesitare "to stick fast", a frequentative of 'haerere', to stick, the root of 'adhere'.
- Stage 2 · English · 1620s hesitate "to hold back", 'he who hesitates is lost' dates from the 1700s.