Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “avarice” come from?

avarice (Middle English) comes from Latin avaritia, from Latin avarus, from Latin avere, from Latin aveo, from Proto-Italic awēō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew- — to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be...

Ancestry of “avarice”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinavaritiaA greedy desire for possessions or gain; avarice,...
2Latinavaruscovetous, greedy, avaricious; a greedy man; miser
3Latinaverepresent active infinitive of aveō; crave, long...
4LatinaveoI desire, wish or long for, crave; I am well or...
5Proto-Italicawēōto desire, to wish
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ew-to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be...

Words derived from “avarice”

  • avarice
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew- →