Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “insulting” come from?

Insulting comes from Middle French insulter, meaning to treat with disrespect or contempt by offensive behavior or language.

insulting (English): Containing insult, or having the intention of...

Definitions

  1. Containing insult, or having the intention of...

Ancestry of “insulting”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishinsultTo be insensitive, insolent, or rude to ; to...
2Middle Frenchinsult—
3Latininsultusa scoffing, reviling, insult
4LatininsilioI leap upon or in; I bound
5Latinīn-—
6Latinîn—
7Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
8Proto-Italicenin
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

Words derived from “insulting”

  • insultingly
  • insultingness
  • noninsulting
  • uninsulting
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →