second

second
\ \ [13] Latin secundus originally meant ‘following’ – it was derived from sequīfollow’, source of English sequence – and only secondarily came to be used as the ordinal version of ‘two’. English acquired it via Old French second, employing it to take over part of the role of other, which until then had denoted ‘second’ as well as ‘other’. Its noun use for ‘sixtieth of a minute’, first recorded in English in the 14th century, comes from medieval Latin secunda minuta, literally ‘second minute’ – a minute was a ‘sixtieth part’, and so a ‘second minute’ was a ‘sixtieth of a sixtieth’. Latin secundus was also used for ‘favourable’, and in this sense the verb secundāre was formed from it, meaning ‘favour’. English acquired it via French seconder as secondsupport’ [16]. (The differently pronounced secondtransfer to a different job’ [19] comes from the French phrase en secondin second rank’.)
\ \ Cf.SECT, SEQUAL, SEQUENCE, SUE, SUIT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • second — second, onde [ s(ə)gɔ̃, ɔ̃d ] adj. et n. • XIIe; secunt 1119; lat. secundus « suivant », de sequi « suivre » I ♦ Adj. (généralt avant le nom) et n. 1 ♦ Qui vient après une chose de même nature; qui suit le premier. ⇒ deuxième(on emploie …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • second — second, onde (se gon, gon d ; au XVIIe siècle, Marg. Buffet, Observ. p. 131, regarde comme une faute de prononcer le c comme un g ; au contraire, Chifflet, Gramm. p. 225, dit que le c se prononce comme un g ; le d se lie : un se gon t avis ;… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • second — SECOND, [sec]onde. adj. numeral. Qui est immediatement aprés premier. Dans ce mot & dans ses derivez le C. se prononce comme un G. Il n est pas le premier, il n est que le second. le second livre. le second President. le second Capitaine. la… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Second — Sec ond, a. [F., fr. L. secundus second, properly, following, fr. sequi to follow. See {Sue} to follow, and cf. {Secund}.] 1. Immediately following the first; next to the first in order of place or time; hence, occurring again; another; other.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • second — second1 [sek′ənd] adj. [ME secunde < OFr < L secundus, following, second < sequi, to follow: see SEQUENT] 1. coming next after the first in order of place or time; 2d or 2nd 2. another; other; additional; supplementary [to take a second… …   English World dictionary

  • second — Ⅰ. second [1] ► ORDINAL NUMBER 1) constituting number two in a sequence; 2nd. 2) subordinate or inferior in position, rank, or importance. 3) (seconds) goods of an inferior quality. 4) (seconds) informal a second course or second helping of food… …   English terms dictionary

  • Second — Sec ond, n. 1. One who, or that which, follows, or comes after; one next and inferior in place, time, rank, importance, excellence, or power. [1913 Webster] Man An angel s second, nor his second long. Young. [1913 Webster] 2. One who follows or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • SECOND (J.) — SECOND JEAN (1511 1536) Né à La Haye, ce grand poète néo latin de son vrai nom Jean Everaerts est européen par ses voyages, dont ses propres relations nous transmettent l’itinéraire daté. Sa première jeunesse a pour cadre Malines, mais dès 1532… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Second — Sec ond, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Seconded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Seconding}.] [Cf. F. seconder, L. secundare, from secundus. See {Second}, a.] 1. To follow in the next place; to succeed; to alternate. [R.] [1913 Webster] In the method of nature, a low… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • second — [adj] next; subordinate additional, alternative, another, double, duplicate, extra, following, further, inferior, lesser, lower, next in order, other, place, repeated, reproduction, runner up, secondary, subsequent, succeeding, supporting, twin,… …   New thesaurus

  • Second — (en castellano: segundo) puede referirse a: Second, banda española. Second Coming (1994), álbum de The Stone Roses. Véase también Segundo, desambiguación. Esta página de desambiguación cataloga artículos relacionados con el mismo …   Wikipedia Español

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