Where does “austere” come from?

austere (Old French) comes from Latin austērus, from Ancient Greek αὐστηρός, from Proto-Indo-European h₂sews- — to be dry.

austere (Old French): acrid; bitter; austere; severe

Definitions

  1. acrid; bitter; austere; severe

Ancestry of “austere”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinaustērusaustere, plain
2Ancient Greekαὐστηρόςbitter, harsh
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂sews-to be dry
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂sews- →Every word from Ancient Greek αὐστηρός →Every word from Latin austērus →