Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “dirus” come from?

dirus (Latin) comes from Proto-Italic deiros, from Proto-Indo-European dwey- — to fear.

dirus (Latin): fearful; ominous; dreadful, detestable

Definitions

  1. fearful; ominous; dreadful, detestable

Ancestry of “dirus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Italicdeiros—
2Proto-Indo-Europeandwey-to fear

Words derived from “dirus”

  • dire
  • direful
  • direly
  • direfully
  • direness
  • direfulness
  • dira
  • diro
  • Canis dirus
  • Dirofilaria
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwey- →