Where does “abuse” come from?
Abuse comes from Middle English abusen, from Old French abus, from Latin abusus, the past participle of abutor meaning to misuse, derived from ab- and utor meaning to use.
abuse (English): Improper treatment or usage; application to a...
Definitions
- Improper treatment or usage; application to a...
Ancestry of “abuse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | abusen | — |
| 2 | Old French | abus | excess; abuse |
| 3 | Latin | abūsus | — |
| 4 | Latin | abūtor | — |
| 5 | Latin | ūtor | — |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | *ǫtorъ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | torъ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Slavic | terti | to rub, to scrape; to polish |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
Words derived from “abuse”