Where does “horrific” come from?
Horrific comes from Latin horrificus, formed from Latin horror and the suffix -ficus (meaning-making), derived from Latin facio (to make), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- (to put or place).
horrific (English): Horrifying, causing horror; horrible
Definitions
- Horrifying, causing horror; horrible
Ancestry of “horrific”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | horrificus | awful, horrible, dreadful; frightening,... |
| 2 | Latin | horreō | to stand erect, stand on end |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | horzēō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰr̥séh₁(ye)ti | — |