Where does “abismal” come from?
abismal (Portuguese) comes from Portuguese abismo, from Late Latin abyssimus, from Latin abyssus, from Ancient Greek ἄβυσσος, from Ancient Greek ἀ-, from Proto-Hellenic hə-, from Proto-Indo-European sm̥-, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
abismal (Portuguese): abysmal
Definitions
- abysmal
Ancestry of “abismal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | abismo | abyss |
| 2 | Late Latin | abyssimus | abysmal |
| 3 | Latin | abyssus | an abyss |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἄβυσσος | bottomless, boundless; unfathomable; bottomless... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |