Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bitters” come from?

Bitters derives from bitter, which combines bit and -ing, ultimately from Latin -arius and -us denoting agents or qualities.

bitters (English): plural of bitter; A liquid used in mixed drinks...

Definitions

  1. plural of bitter; A liquid used in mixed drinks...

Ancestry of “bitters”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbitterHaving an acrid taste; Harsh, piercing or...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-āre—
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
10Chichewaiyehe, she
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