Where does “bittersweet” come from?
Bittersweet comes from Middle English bitterswete, a compound of bitter and sweet denoting the simultaneous experience of contrasting tastes or emotions.
bittersweet (English): Both bitter and sweet; Expressing contrasting...
Definitions
- Both bitter and sweet; Expressing contrasting...
Ancestry of “bittersweet”, step by step
bittersweet traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English bitter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bitter | Having an acrid taste; Harsh, piercing or... |
| 2 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 3 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 4 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 5 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English sweet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sweet | Having a pleasant taste, especially one relating... |
| 2 | Middle English | swete | sweet, pleasant-tasting; sweet in smell;... |
| 3 | Old English | swēte | sweet |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | swōtī | sweet |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swōtuz | sweet |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swéh₂dus | sweet |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sweh₂d- | sweet |
via Middle English bitterswete
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bitterswete | — |