Where does “acid” come from?

Acid comes from French acide, from Latin acidus, derived from the Proto-Italic root akēō and ultimately Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ-, meaning to be sharp or sour.

acid (English): Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having...

Definitions

  1. Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having...

Ancestry of “acid”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchacideacid, acidic, sour, tart; acid, acidic; acid
2Latinacidussour, tart, acid, bitter; harsh, grating, rough,...
3Latinaceōto be sour
4Proto-Italicakēōbe sharp-tasting, be sour
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱ-éh₁-ye-ti—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱ-sharp

Words derived from “acid”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ- →