English word sorry comes from Proto-Indo-European *sayǝw-, Proto-Germanic *sairą, Proto-Germanic - gaz, and later Proto-Germanic *sairagaz (Sad; saddened; grieved; sorry.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *sayǝw- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | hard, rough, painful |
| *sairą | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| - gaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *sairagaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Sad; saddened; grieved; sorry. |
| sāriġ | Old English (ang) | |
| sarig | Old English (ang) | Sorry. |
| *sāreġ | Old English (ang) | |
| sory | Middle English (enm) | |
| sorry | English (en) | The act of saying sorry; an apology. Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.. Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.. Used to correct oneself in speech. (of a person) Regretful for an action; grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.. Poor, sad or regrettable. |