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Origin and history of worthy

worthy(adj.)

mid-13c., worthi, "important, good, having merit;" c. 1300, "deserving of reverence;" from worth (n.) + -y (2). Also sometimes in Middle English "having great monetary value."

"Of sufficient importance," hence extensive use from 13c. in compounds (seaworthy, love-worthy, etc.),

It is attested from late 14c. as a noun, "person of eminent worth," especially in Nine Worthies, famous men of history and legend: Joshua, David, Judas Maccabæus, Hector, Alexander, Julius Cæsar, Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of Bouillon -- three Jews, three gentiles, three Christians.

Related: Worthily; worthiness. Worthful (Old English weorþful) was "valued, precious;" also "glorious, esteemed," but it vanished in early Middle English.

also from mid-13c.

Entries linking to worthy

worth(n.)

Old English weorþ "value of a commodity, monetary price, price paid; equivalent value amount to something else;" also "worth, worthiness, merit;" from worth (adj.). From c. 1200 as "excellence, nobility." By 1590s as "that which one is worth, wealth, riches, means, property."

blameworthy(adj.)

also blame-worthy, "deserving blame," late 14c., from blame (n.) + worthy (adj.). Related: Blameworthiness.

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deign
c. 1300, deinen, "think worthy, think well of, regard as suited to one's dignity," from Old French deignier (Modern French...daigner) and directly from Latin dignari "to deem worthy or fit" (source of Italian degnare, Spanish deñar), from dignus..."worthy," from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept."...
deserve
mid-13c., "to merit, be worthy of for qualities or actions," from Old French deservir (Modern French desservir) "deserve,...be worthy of, earn, merit" and directly from Latin deservire "serve well, serve zealously," from de- "completely" (see de...classical Latin sense evolved to "be entitled to because of good service" (a sense found in Late Latin), then in French "be worthy...
axiom
truth," late 15c., from French axiome, from Latin axioma, from Greek axioma "authority," literally "that which is thought worthy...or fit," from axioun "to think worthy," from axios "worthy, worth, of like value, weighing as much" (from PIE adjective...
dignity
c. 1200, "state of being worthy," from Old French dignite "dignity, privilege, honor," from Latin dignitatem (nominative...dignitas) "worthiness," from dignus "worth (n.), worthy, proper, fitting," from PIE *dek-no-, suffixed form of root *dek-...
condign
, merited," from Old French condigne "deserved, appropriate, equal in wealth" and directly from Latin condignus "wholly worthy...," from assimilated form of com "together, altogether" (see con-) + dignus "worth (n.), worthy, proper, fitting" (from PIE...
notable
mid-14c., "worthy of note, important, praiseworthy," from Old French notable "well-known, notable, remarkable" (13c.), from...Meaning "well-known, prominent, worthy of respect" is from early 15c....
venerable
early 15c., "worthy of respect," from Old French venerable and directly from Latin venerabilis "worthy of reverence or respect...
personage
mid-15c., "body of a person" (with regard to appearance), also "notable person, a man or woman of high rank or distinction," from Old French personage "size, stature," also "a dignitary" (13c.), from Medieval Latin personaticum (11c.), from Latin persona (see person). As a longer
transgression
late 14c., from Old French transgression "transgression," particularly that relating to Adam and the Fall (12c.), from Late Latin transgressionem (nominative transgressio) "a transgression of the law," in classical Latin, "a going over, a going across," noun of action from transg
subtle
c. 1300 (mid-13c. as a surname), sotil, "penetrating; ingenious; refined" (of the mind); "sophisticated, intricate, abstruse" (of arguments), from Old French sotil, soutil, subtil "adept, adroit; cunning, wise; detailed; well-crafted" (12c., Modern French subtil), from Latin subt

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