Where does “ominous” come from?

Ominous derives from Latin ominosus, formed with the suffix Latin -osus (full of) applied to Latin -men, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃ésth₁ with the suffix Proto-Indo-European -mn̥.

ominous (English): Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or...

Ancestry of “ominous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinominosusforeboding, ominous, portentous
2Latinōmenomen, sign, harbinger, portent, token
3Old Latinosmen—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ew-to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be...

Words derived from “ominous”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew- →Every word from Old Latin osmen →Every word from Latin ōmen →