English
arson
Arson comes from Old French arson ‘burning’, from Latin ardeō ‘to burn’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- ‘to be dry, to dry’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eHs-‘to be dry, to dry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eHs-eh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*āzēōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEāreō‘to be dry’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāridus‘dry, parched, withered, arid’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEardeō‘to burn’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400arson‘burning’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eHs-‘to be dry, to dry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eHs-eh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*āzēōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEāreō‘to be dry’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāridus‘dry, parched, withered, arid’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEardeō‘to burn’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400arson‘burning’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006same form
Earliest quotation: 2006, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Killer Smile: “Arson, like we thought. three punks doused a car,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- ‘to be dry, to dry’
are, star, ash, stellar, asterisk, azalea, ashy, ashen, areal, 5 more
through Latin āreō ‘to be dry’
through Latin āridus ‘dry, parched, withered, arid’
through Latin ardeō ‘to burn’
Today it means
noun The crime of deliberately starting a fire with intent to cause damage.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- / arson