English
bitter
Bitter comes from Middle English bitter, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *bitraz.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bitrazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bitrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bitter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bitrazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bitrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bitter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against…”
Formed from bite + -er
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‘split’
…
Proto-Germanic *bītaną
Proto-West Germanic *bītan ‘to bite’
Old English bītan
Middle English biten ‘to bite’
English bite
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‘to split’
bet, boat, fiber, fibre, bait, bite, fission, fissure, feta, fissile, abet, fettuccine, 25 more
Today it means
adj Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *bitraz / bitter