Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “anger” come from?

Anger comes from Middle English anger, from Old Norse angra, from Proto-Germanic anguz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ-.

anger (English): A strong feeling of displeasure, hostility or...

Definitions

  1. A strong feeling of displeasure, hostility or...

Ancestry of “anger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishangerGrief, painfulness, or discomfort; a feeling of...
2Old Norseangrsorrow, resentment, distress; repentance;...
3Proto-Germanicangazazworry, grief, anxiety
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

Words derived from “anger”

  • angering
  • angerless
  • angereth
  • angersome
  • anger management
  • angerest
  • angeringly
  • angerlike
  • angerness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- →