Where does “exacerbate” come from?
Exacerbate comes from Latin exacerbāre, formed from ex- and acerbus meaning sharp or harsh, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ-.
exacerbate (English): To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.)
Definitions
- To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.)
Ancestry of “exacerbate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | exacerbatus | exasperated |
| 2 | Latin | exacerbo | I exasperate, irritate, provoke; I aggravate |
| 3 | Latin | acerbō | to make harsh or bitter, embitter |
| 4 | Latin | acerbus | harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet... |
| 5 | Latin | ācer | sharp, sour, bitter, pungent |
| 6 | Latin | saccharum | sugar |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | σάκχαρ | sugar; sugar cane |
| 8 | Sanskrit | शर्करा | gravel, grit, pebbles, shingle, gravelly mould or... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | śárkaraH | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ćárkaraH | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱorkeh₂ | gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel |