Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pungent” come from?

Pungent comes from Latin pungens, the present participle of pungo meaning to prick or sting, from Proto-Italic pungō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pewḱ-.

pungent (English): Having a strong odor that stings the nose, said...

Definitions

  1. Having a strong odor that stings the nose, said...

Ancestry of “pungent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpungēns—
2Latinpungō—
3Proto-Italicpungōto prick, to sting
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpewǵ-to punch, fist-fight; to prick, poke, stab

Words derived from “pungent”

  • pungency
  • pungently
  • unpungent
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pewǵ- →