English
contrite
Contrite comes from Latin contrītus ‘bruised, crumbled’, from terō ‘rub, wear away’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terh₁-‘to rub, turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterō‘rub, wear away’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconterō‘grind, bruise’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontrītus‘bruised, crumbled’literally ‘ground to pieces’perfect passive participle of conterō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400contrit
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1600contrite
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terh₁-‘to rub, turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterō‘rub, wear away’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconterō‘grind, bruise’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontrītus‘bruised, crumbled’literally ‘ground to pieces’perfect passive participle of conterō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400contrit
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1600contrite
Earliest quotation: a. 1600, Richard Hooker uncertain, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie: “Secondly, that even where contrition or inward repentance doth…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- ‘to rub, turn’
turn, throw, thread, tournament, threshold, tragic, trout, detour, thrash, tyrone, tourney, tourniquet, triage, termite, thresher, tyro, thresh, derma, truant, 41 more
through Latin terō ‘rub, wear away’
detrimental, detriment, attrition, tribulation, detritus, 8 more
Today it means
adj Sincerely penitent or feeling regret or sorrow, especially for one’s own actions.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- / contrite