Where does “brutal” come from?
Brutal comes from Medieval Latin brutalis, derived from Latin brutus, which traces to Proto-Indo-European gʷréh₂us, an adjective suffix from Proto-Indo-European -us.
brutal (English): Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel;...
Definitions
- Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel;...
Ancestry of “brutal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | brutal | savage |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | brutalis | savage, stupid |
| 3 | Latin | brūtus | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷréh₂us | heavy |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -us | Forms adjectives from Caland system roots |
Words derived from “brutal”