sudden
An unexpected occurrenceAn unexpected occurrence; a surprise.
Recorded US: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Meaning
1 senses(obsolete)An unexpected occurrence; a surprise.
Origin
From Middle English sodeyn, sodain, from Anglo-Norman sodein, from Old French sodain, subdFrom Middle English sodeyn, sodain, from Anglo-Norman sodein, from Old French sodain, subdain (“immediate, sudden”), from Vulgar Latin *subitānus (“sudden”), from Latin subitāneus (“sudden”), from subitus (“sudden", literally, "that which has come stealthily”), originally the past participle of subīre (“to come or go stealthily”), from sub (“under”) + īre (“go”). Doublet of subitaneous. Displaced native Old English fǣrlīċ.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.