Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “aghastness” come from?

aghastness (English) comes from English aghast, from Middle English agast, from Middle English agasten, from Middle English a-, from Old English ā-, from Old English ar-, from Proto-West Germanic uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic uz- — out, outward.

aghastness (English): The state or quality of being aghast

Definitions

  1. The state or quality of being aghast

Ancestry of “aghastness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishaghastTerrified; struck with amazement; showing signs...
2Middle Englishagast—
3Middle Englishagastento terrify
4Middle Englisha-up, out, away; of; on, in
5Old Englishā-a-; away, out
6Old Englishar-—
7Proto-West Germanicuʀ-out, over; off, away
8Proto-Germanicuz-up, out
9Proto-Indo-Europeanuss-—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanuds-up, out
11Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd →