Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rancorous” come from?

Rancorous comes from Middle English -ous, from Old French -eux, from Latin -osus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -os, a suffix forming adjectives denoting a state or condition.

rancorous (English): Full of rancor; bitter; unforgiving

Definitions

  1. Full of rancor; bitter; unforgiving

Ancestry of “rancorous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrancorThe deepest malignity or spite; deep-seated...
2Middle EnglishrancourJealousy, ire, towards someone; rancour;...
3Old Frenchrancorill-will; negative opinion or intention
4Latinrancorrancidity, stench, rankness; grudge, rancor
5Latin-orused to form a third-declension masculine...
6Proto-Italic-ōsCreates masculine action nouns or result nouns...
7Proto-Indo-European-ōsCreates masculine and feminine action nouns or...
8Proto-Indo-European-oss—
9Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

Words derived from “rancorous”

  • rancorously
  • unrancorous
  • unrancorously
  • contenkerous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -os →