Where does “acerb” come from?
acerb (English) comes from French acerbe, from Latin acerbus, from Latin ācer, from Latin saccharum, from Ancient Greek σάκχαρ, from Sanskrit शर्करा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan śárkaraH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ćárkaraH — gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel.
acerb (English): Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe...
Definitions
- Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe...
Ancestry of “acerb”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | acerbe | acerb; harsh |
| 2 | Latin | acerbus | harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet... |
| 3 | Latin | ācer | sharp, sour, bitter, pungent |
| 4 | Latin | saccharum | sugar |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σάκχαρ | sugar; sugar cane |
| 6 | Sanskrit | शर्करा | gravel, grit, pebbles, shingle, gravelly mould or... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | śárkaraH | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ćárkaraH | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱorkeh₂ | gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel |