necessary

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

Necessary’s story begins in Latin: necessarius meant “unavoidable.” From 'necesse', unavoidable: 'ne-', not, plus 'cedere', to yield. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as necessaire. Latin 'necesse' literally meant 'no backing away'; English 'necessary house' meant a privy by the 1610s. It reached English by 1300s as necessary. 'necessity is the mother of invention' dates from the 1500s. Today, necessary means required to be done.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient necessarius "unavoidable", from 'necesse', unavoidable: 'ne-', not, plus 'cedere', to yield.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval necessaire "necessary", Latin 'necesse' literally meant 'no backing away'; English 'necessary house' meant a privy by the 1610s.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s necessary "unavoidable", 'necessity is the mother of invention' dates from the 1500s.