Where does “asperity” come from?
Asperity derives from Middle English asprete, from Old French aspreté, from Latin asperitatem (roughness), the noun form of Latin asper (rough), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂esp-.
asperity (English): The quality of being harsh or severe in the way...
Definitions
- The quality of being harsh or severe in the way...
Ancestry of “asperity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | asprete | — |
| 2 | Old French | aspreté | — |
| 3 | Latin | asperitatem | accusative singular of asperitās |
| 4 | Latin | -itās | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |