Where does “tormentous” come from?
tormentous (English) comes from English ous, from English ou, from Afrikaans ou, from Dutch oud, from Middle Dutch out, from Old Dutch ald, from Proto-West Germanic ald, from Proto-Germanic aldaz — to grow, nourish.
tormentous (English): Involving or causing torment; having the nature...
Definitions
- Involving or causing torment; having the nature...
Ancestry of “tormentous”, step by step
tormentous traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ous
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ous | plural of ou |
| 2 | English | ou | A probably extinct species of Hawaiian... |
| 3 | Afrikaans | ou | An old fellow, guy, bloke; attributive form of... |
| 4 | Dutch | oud | old |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | out | old |
| 6 | Old Dutch | ald | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | ald | old |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | aldaz | old, grown up |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eltós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | to grow, nourish |
via English torment
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | torment | A catapult or other kind of war-engine; Torture,... |
| 2 | Middle English | torment | torment (suffering, pain) |
| 3 | Old French | torment | torture; suffering; torment |
| 4 | Latin | tormentum | an engine for hurling missiles; a shot or missile... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | torkmentom | — |