Where does “bitter” come from?
bitter (English) comes from English bit, from Middle English bitte, from Old English byt, from Proto-Germanic *buttjā, from Latin buttia, from Ancient Greek βούττιον, from Ancient Greek -ῐον, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
bitter (English): Having an acrid taste; Harsh, piercing or...
Definitions
- Having an acrid taste; Harsh, piercing or...
Ancestry of “bitter”, step by step
bitter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bit | A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and... |
| 2 | Middle English | bitte | A flexible container for water or wine; a waterskin or wineskin |
| 3 | Old English | byt | bottle, flagon |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *buttjā | — |
| 5 | Latin | buttia | cask, barrel |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βούττιον | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ῐον | diminutive suffix; "suffix forming... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |