- temerity
- early 15c., from M.Fr. témérité (15c.), from L. temeritatem (nom. temeritas) "blind chance, accident, rashness," from temere "by chance, blindly, casually, rashly," related to tenebrae "darkness," from PIE base *temes- "dark" (cf. Skt. tamas- "darkness," tamsrah "dark;" Avestan temah "darkness;" Lith. tamsa "darkness," tamsus "dark;" O.C.S. tima "darkness;" O.H.G. dinstar "dark;" O.Ir. temel "darkness").