Where does “terse” come from?

terse (Latin) comes from Latin tersus, from Latin tergo, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.

terse (Latin): vocative masculine singular of tersus

Definitions

  1. vocative masculine singular of tersus

Ancestry of “terse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latintersusclean, neat, rubbed or wiped (off), cleansed, having been cleansed
2LatintergoAlternative form of tergeō; ablative singular of...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanterh₁-to rub, turn; to drill, pierce
Every word from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- →Every word from Latin tergo →Every word from Latin tersus →