Where does “ass” come from?
Ass comes from Middle English ars, from Latin ars meaning skill or art, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots h₂eǵ- and h₂er- relating to motion or fitting together.
ass (English): Any of several species of horse-like animals,...
Definitions
- Any of several species of horse-like animals,...
Ancestry of “ass”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | asse | Alternative form of axen |
| 2 | Old English | assa | ass, donkey |
| 3 | Old English | assen | she-ass |
| 4 | Latin | asinus | a donkey, an ass; an ass, an idiot, a dolt, a... |
| 5 | Latin | acinus | a berry, especially the grape; the seed of a... |
| 6 | Latin | acies | sharp edge or point; battle line; battle,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |