Honour
/ˈɒn.ər/noun
High respect, esteem, or integrity; also a public mark of distinction.
Did you know?Honour ultimately comes from Latin *honor*, a word for public esteem and office, and it helped shape a whole family of status words in Romance and English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth to, produce”
Latin
Latin
honor
“esteem, dignity, public office, honor”
Old French
Old French
honur
“honor, dignity, reputation”
Middle English
English
honour
“esteem, noble rank, credit, moral worth”
Modern English
English
honour
“respect, integrity, and public distinction”