Where does “bounteous” come from?
Bounteous comes from Middle English -ous, Old French -eux, Latin -osus combined with Latin bonus meaning good, derived from Proto-Indo-European dew-.
bounteous (English): Inclined to be generous; Liberal or abundant
Definitions
- Inclined to be generous; Liberal or abundant
Ancestry of “bounteous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bountevous | Virtuous, benevolent; morally good |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | bontivous | — |
| 3 | Old French | -os | Alternative form of -us; -ous |
| 4 | Latin | -osus | -ose, -ous; full of, overly, prone to |
| 5 | Old Latin | -osos | accusative masculine plural of -ōsus |
| 6 | Latin | ont-to-s | — |
| 7 | Latin | -o-wont-to-s | — |