Where does “obstreperous” come from?
Obstreperous comes from Latin obstreperus, derived from Latin obstrepere meaning to make noise against, from Latin ob- and obolus, which traces to Ancient Greek ὀβολός, itself from ὀβελός and ultimately βέλος.
obstreperous (English): Attended by, or making, a loud and tumultuous...
Definitions
- Attended by, or making, a loud and tumultuous...
Ancestry of “obstreperous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | obstreperus | Clamorous, chirping, noisy |
| 2 | Latin | obstrepo | I roar or resound at; resound, sound; I clamor or... |
| 3 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 4 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |