Where does “violent” come from?
violent (Middle English) comes from Old French violent, from Latin violentus, from Latin -entus, from Latin cruentus, from Latin cruor, from Proto-Indo-European krewh₂- — blood outside the body.
violent (Middle English): Violent, forcible, injury-causing; Potent,...
Definitions
- Violent, forcible, injury-causing; Potent,...
Ancestry of “violent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | violent | violent using violence |
| 2 | Latin | violentus | forcible, violent, vehement; impetuous;... |
| 3 | Latin | -entus | adjective-forming suffix meaning abounding in,... |
| 4 | Latin | cruentus | bloody in its various senses, "particularly:" |
| 5 | Latin | cruor | blood, gore; murder, bloodshed |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | krewh₂- | blood outside the body |