English
desperate
Desperate comes from Latin dēspērātus ‘desperate, hopeless’, from desperare ‘to despair’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- ‘to succeed, to prosper’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speh₁-‘to succeed, to prosper’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéh₁sreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spēs‘hope’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEspēs
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*spēsōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspērō‘to hope, expect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēspērō‘to be without hope’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdesperare‘to despair’perfect passive participle of dēspērō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēspērātus‘desperate, hopeless’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500desperat(e)
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1591desperate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*speh₁-‘to succeed, to prosper’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spéh₁sreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spēs‘hope’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEspēs
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*spēsōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspērō‘to hope, expect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēspērō‘to be without hope’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdesperare‘to despair’perfect passive participle of dēspērō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēspērātus‘desperate, hopeless’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500desperat(e)
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1591desperate
Earliest quotation: c. 1590–1591, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona: “Since his exile she hath despised me most, Forsworn…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- ‘to succeed, to prosper’
speed, spare, spatial, prosper, spat, 6 more
through Latin spērō ‘to hope, expect’
through Latin dēspērō ‘to be without hope’
Today it means
adj In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- / desperate