Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ennui” come from?

ennui (English) comes from French ennui, from Old French enui, from Old French enuier, from Latin inodiāre, from Latin odium, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ed- — to smell, stink; to hate; to bite.

ennui (English): A gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by...

Definitions

  1. A gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by...

Ancestry of “ennui”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchennuiBoredom; lassitude; Trouble, issue, annoyance
2Old Frenchenuipain; suffering; anguish
3Old FrenchenuierAlternative form of enoiier; to molest, harm,...
4Latininodiāre—
5Latinodiumhatred, ill-will, aversion, dislike, disgust,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ed-to smell, stink; to hate; to bite
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ed- →