Where does “obtuseness” come from?
Obtuseness comes from Middle English -nesse combined with Latin obtusus, from obtundere meaning "to beat against," ultimately derived from Greek ὀβολός.
obtuseness (English): The quality of being obtuse; Something that is...
Definitions
- The quality of being obtuse; Something that is...
Ancestry of “obtuseness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | obtuse | Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form;... |
| 2 | Latin | obtusus | blunt, dull, obtuse |
| 3 | Latin | obtundo | I strike, beat or batter; I blunt; I deafen |
| 4 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 5 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |