Subitaneous
/ˌsuːbɪˈteɪniəs/noun
Happening suddenly or unexpectedly.
Did you know?Subitaneous is a rare English word borrowed from Latin, where it meant “sudden,” and it survives today mostly in learned writing rather than everyday speech.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
subitāneus
“sudden, unexpected”
Classical Latin
Latin
subitus
“coming suddenly, unexpected”
Proto-Italic
PI
*subito-
“sudden”
17th Century
English
subitaneous
“sudden; happening without warning”
Modern English
English
subitaneous
“sudden or unexpected”
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