English
accursed
Accursed comes from Middle English acursen ‘to curse’, and goes back to Old English cors.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150corsas curs‘curse’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150cursian‘to curse’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ācursian‘to curse, malign’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500acursen‘to curse’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500acursed
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588accursed
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150corsas curs‘curse’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150cursian‘to curse’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ācursian‘to curse, malign’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500acursen‘to curse’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500acursed
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588accursed
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “Accurſt be he that firſt inuented war”.
first attested First attested in the 13th century (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in the 13th century.
Linked words
through Old English cors ‘curse’
through Old English cursian ‘to curse’
Today it means
adj Hateful; detestable, loathsome.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English cors / accursed