Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “august” come from?

August comes from Latin augeo, meaning to increase or enlarge, derived from Proto-Indo-European h₂ewg-.

august (English): Awe-inspiring, majestic, noble, venerable; Of...

Definitions

  1. Awe-inspiring, majestic, noble, venerable; Of...

Ancestry of “august”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchaugusteaugust; noble, stately; A type of clown with a...
2Latinaugustusaugust, majestic, venerable; of August, the sixth...
3LatinaugeoI increase, augment; I enlarge, spread, expand; I...
4Proto-Italicaugeōto increase; to enlarge
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂owg-éye-ti—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ewg-to increase, to enlarge
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂weg-to increase, to enlarge
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ug-—

Words derived from “august”

  • augustly
  • augustness
  • unaugust
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ug- →