Where does “cruel” come from?

cruel (Middle English) comes from Old French cruel, from Latin crūdēlis, from Latin crūdus, from Proto-Indo-European krewh₂- — blood outside the body.

cruel (Middle English): Merciless, cruel; revelling in another's pain;...

Definitions

  1. Merciless, cruel; revelling in another's pain;...

Ancestry of “cruel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcruel—
2Latincrūdēlisunfeeling, rude
3Latincrūdusraw, bloody, bleeding
4Proto-Indo-Europeankrewh₂-blood outside the body

Words derived from “cruel”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European krewh₂- →Every word from Latin crūdus →Every word from Latin crūdēlis →