Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “austère” come from?

austère (French) comes from Latin austērus, from Ancient Greek αὐστηρός, from Proto-Indo-European h₂sews- — to be dry.

austère (French): austere

Definitions

  1. austere

Ancestry of “austère”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinaustērus—
2Ancient Greekαὐστηρόςbitter, harsh
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂sews-to be dry

Words derived from “austère”

  • austèrement
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂sews- →