Where does “onerous” come from?
Onerous comes from Middle English onerous, from Middle French onereux, from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus, derived from Latin onus meaning burden, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃énh₂os.
onerous (English): imposing or constituting a physical, mental, or...
Definitions
- imposing or constituting a physical, mental, or...
Ancestry of “onerous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | onerous | onerous |
| 2 | Middle French | onereux | — |
| 3 | Old French | onereus | — |
| 4 | Latin | onerosus | burdensome, heavy, oppressive; onerous, irksome |
| 5 | Latin | onus | burden, load; cargo, freight |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃énh₂os | load; burden |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃enh₂- | to onerate; to charge |
Words derived from “onerous”