Etymology Explorer › Old High German

Where does “bitter” come from?

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

bitter (Old High German): Alternative form of bittar

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of bittar

Ancestry of “bitter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanbittarbitter
2Old Norsebitrbitter
3Proto-Germanicbitrazbitter
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰidrósbiting, splitting
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰidrós →