Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “platitudinous” come from?

platitudinous (English) comes from English platitude, from French platitude, from French plat, from Middle French plat, from Old French plat, from Vulgar Latin plattus, from Ancient Greek πλατύς, from Proto-Indo-European pléth₂us — flat.

platitudinous (English): Characterised by clichés or platitudes

Definitions

  1. Characterised by clichés or platitudes

Ancestry of “platitudinous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplatitudeAn often-quoted saying that is supposed to be...
2Frenchplatitudeflatness; blandness; lack of originality
3Frenchplatflat; a flat area of ground; a flat thing; a flat...
4Middle Frenchplat—
5Old Frenchplata footbridge
6Vulgar Latinplattusflattened; flat; smooth
7Ancient Greekπλατύςwide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpléth₂usflat, broad
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpleth₂-flat

Words derived from “platitudinous”

  • platitudinously
  • platitudinarian
  • platitudinousness
  • unplatitudinous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂- →