Where does “bitter” come from?

bitter (Old English) comes from Old English biter, from Old Norse bitr, from Proto-Germanic bitraz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰidrós — biting, splitting.

bitter (Old English): Alternative form of biter

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of biter

Ancestry of “bitter”, step by step

bitter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English biter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbiterbitter; bitter, severe, painful, biting
2Old Norsebitrbitter
3Proto-Germanicbitrazbitter
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰidrósbiting, splitting

via Proto-West Germanic bit(t)r

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicbit(t)rbitter

Words derived from “bitter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰidrós →Every word from Proto-Germanic bitraz →Every word from Old Norse bitr →