Where does “asper” come from?

asper (Middle English) comes from Italian aspro, from Ancient Greek ἄσπρον, from Latin asper, from Proto-Indo-European h₂esp- — to cut.

Ancestry of “asper”, step by step

asper traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian aspro

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianasprosharp, tart; sour, pungent, bitter; rugged
2Ancient Greekἄσπρον—
3Latinasperrough, uneven, coarse; unrefined, rude; sharp,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂esp-to cut

via Middle French aspre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchaspreharsh; acrid
2Old Frenchaspre—

Words derived from “asper”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂esp- →Every word from Latin asper →Every word from Ancient Greek ἄσπρον →