Where does “onerous” come from?
onerous (Middle English) comes from Middle French onereux, from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus, from Latin onus, from Proto-Indo-European h₃énh₂os, from Proto-Indo-European h₃enh₂- — to onerate; to charge.
onerous (Middle English): onerous
Ancestry of “onerous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | onereux | — |
| 2 | Old French | onereus | — |
| 3 | Latin | onerosus | burdensome, heavy, oppressive; onerous, irksome |
| 4 | Latin | onus | burden, load; cargo, freight |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃énh₂os | load; burden |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃enh₂- | to onerate; to charge |
Words derived from “onerous”