sudden

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

Sudden’s story begins in Late Latin: subitaneus meant “sudden.” From 'subitus', unexpected: 'sub-' plus 'ire', to go: come upon. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as sodain. Anglo-French form. It reached English by 1300s as sudden. 'all of a sudden' dates from the 1600s. Today, sudden means happening quickly and unexpectedly.

1. Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient subitaneus "sudden", from 'subitus', unexpected: 'sub-' plus 'ire', to go: come upon.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval sodain "sudden", Anglo-French form.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s sudden "unexpected", 'all of a sudden' dates from the 1600s.