1711: sure and secure Aug 21, 2019

Most Germanic words meaning 'secure; certain' along the lines of 'zeker' (Dutch) or 'sicher' (German) are related etymologically. The English word 'sure' and indeed 'secure' are as well, though they are more distinct. It wasn't always this way, as there was the word 'siker', which is in use in some British dialects, mostly northern, and Scots. This might lead you to believe that 'sikker' and its various forms in each Germanic language was originally Germanic and not Romantic in origin, but actually all of them come from the Latin 'securus' meaning 'without care'. Give that these derivatives now usually means "safe; certain", this is sort of a reversal of meaning, but it used to mean 'free', and is related to the English 'sinecure', meaning 'carefree' i.e. something that doesn't require work and is therefore safer.

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