Where does “precipitous” come from?
Precipitous comes from French précipiteux, derived from Latin praecipitosus, meaning steep or headlong.
precipitous (English): Steep, like a precipice; Headlong; Hasty; rash;...
Definitions
- Steep, like a precipice; Headlong; Hasty; rash;...
Ancestry of “precipitous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | précipiteux | — |
| 2 | Latin | praecipitosus | — |
| 3 | Latin | praeceps | head first, headlong; steep, precipitous; hasty,... |
| 4 | Latin | -ceps | -headed; -fold; -catcher |
| 5 | Old Latin | -cipes | "third declension"; Alternative form of -ceps;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -kaputis | -headed |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kaput | head |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | káput | head |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |
Words derived from “precipitous”