English
atrocity
Atrocity comes from Latin atrōx ‘terrible, cruel’, from āter ‘matte black’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₁ter- ‘fire’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eh₁ter-‘fire’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ātros‘black’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEāter‘matte black’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEatrōx‘terrible, cruel’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEatrōcitās
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600atrocité
- Englishearliest quotation 1662atrocity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eh₁ter-‘fire’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ātros‘black’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEāter‘matte black’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEatrōx‘terrible, cruel’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEatrōcitās
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600atrocité
- Englishearliest quotation 1662atrocity
Earliest quotation: 1662, William Pynchon, The Covenant of Nature Made with Adam: “[…] it seemed an atrocity or cruelty to Narses…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₁ter-
Today it means
noun An extremely cruel act; a horrid act of injustice.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₁ter- / atrocity