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 | To misuse; to use improperly |
| 2 | Old French | abus | excess; abuse |
| 3 | Latin | abūsus | having consumed, wasted or misused |
| 4 | Latin | abūtor | to use up, exhaust, consume entirely |
| 5 | Latin | ūtor | to use, make use of, employ |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | *ǫtorъ | croze |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | torъ | paddock, pen |
| 8 | Proto-Slavic | terti | to rub, to scrape; to polish |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |