Transient
/ˈtræn.zi.ənt/noun
Lasting only a short time; temporary.
Did you know?Its roots come from Latin *transire*, “to go across,” which is the same ancient motion behind words like *transition* and *transit*—language built around crossing thresholds.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ters-
“to cross over, pass through”
Latin
Latin
transire
“to go across, pass over”
Late Latin
Latin
transientem
“passing over, fleeting”
Old French
Old French
transient
“passing, temporary”
14th-15th Century
English
transient
“passing by, not permanent”
Modern English
English
transient
“lasting only a short time; temporary”
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