Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ostent” come from?

ostent (English) comes from Middle French ostente, from Latin ostentum, from Latin ostendere, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός, from Ancient Greek βέλος — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

ostent (English): To make an ambitious display of; to exhibit or...

Definitions

  1. To make an ambitious display of; to exhibit or...

Ancestry of “ostent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchostenteamazing or marvellous thing; prodigy, wonder
2Latinostentumportent; nominative neuter singular of ostentus;...
3Latinostenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
4Latinob-towards; against
5Latinobolusobolus
6Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
7Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
8Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
9Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →