Where does “belligerent” come from?
Belligerent comes from Latin belligerans, present participle of belligero, meaning to wage war, derived from belliger meaning warlike, from bellum meaning war, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- meaning to drive or act.
belligerent (English): Engaged in warfare, warring; Eager to go to war,...
Definitions
- Engaged in warfare, warring; Eager to go to war,...
Ancestry of “belligerent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | belligerans | waging war |
| 2 | Latin | belliger | waging war; warlike, martial, valiant |
| 3 | Latin | bellum | war; nominative neuter singular of bellus;... |
| 4 | Latin | bellus | beautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,... |
| 5 | Latin | villus | hair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair |
| 6 | Latin | vellus | The wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |