Where does “vitriolous” come from?
vitriolous (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.
vitriolous (English): Obsolete form of vitriolic
Definitions
- Obsolete form of vitriolic
Ancestry of “vitriolous”, step by step
vitriolous 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 vitriol
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | vitriol | Sulphuric acid and various metal sulphates;... |
| 2 | Old French | vitriol | — |
| 3 | Latin | vitriolum | vitriol |
| 4 | Latin | vitrum | glass; a woad; a plant used for dying blue; woad;... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | wedrom | glass |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wedro- | water-like |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wed- | water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |