Where does “violent” come from?
Violent comes from Middle English violent, from Old French violent, from Latin violentus, derived from Latin vis meaning force, which traces back through Latin viola and Latin cruentus to Proto-Indo-European roots weyh₁- and gʷelH-.
violent (English): Involving extreme force or motion; Involving...
Definitions
- Involving extreme force or motion; Involving...
Ancestry of “violent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | violent | Violent, forcible, injury-causing; Potent,... |
| 2 | Old French | violent | violent using violence |
| 3 | Latin | violentus | forcible, violent, vehement; impetuous;... |
| 4 | Latin | -entus | adjective-forming suffix meaning abounding in,... |
| 5 | Latin | cruentus | bloody in its various senses, "particularly:" |
| 6 | Latin | cruor | blood, gore; murder, bloodshed |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | krewh₂- | blood outside the body |