desire
/dɪˈzaɪər/
noun
Origin
Latin
desiderare — to long for, wish for, desire; originally 'to await what the stars bring'
Overview
Meaning Now
- A strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.
- An object of such a feeling; something wanted.
Literal older meaning
to await what the stars bring
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
desirer
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The word originates from the Latin 'desiderare', which was likely an astrological metaphor meaning to 'await what the stars bring'. It evolved through Old French before entering the English language, losing its literal stellar connotation in common usage.
Evolution
- Latin
de-
“away from/thoroughly”
- Latin
sidere
“star (from sidus)”
implied 'to await the stars'
- Old French
desirrer
“to wish for”
- Middle English
desiren
“to request or crave”
- Modern English
desire
“a strong impulse or longing”
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
thoroughly or away from
sire
root
related to 'sidus' (star)
Related across languages
French
désir
desire
Spanish
desear
to desire
Related words
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Related to desire
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.