Etymograph

English

exacerbate

Exacerbate comes from Latin exacerbātus ‘exasperated’, from exacerbō ‘to provoke’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘sharp’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrós‘sharp’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akris‘sharp’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*akriðosreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbus‘harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbō‘to make harsh or bitter, embitter’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbō‘to provoke’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbātus‘exasperated’perfect passive participle of exacerbō
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1986exacerbate

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘sharp’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrós‘sharp’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akris‘sharp’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*akriðosreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbus‘harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbō‘to make harsh or bitter, embitter’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbō‘to provoke’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbātus‘exasperated’perfect passive participle of exacerbō
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1986exacerbate

Earliest quotation: 1986, Peter P. Cheng, 1978: The Four Modernizations on the March: “Sino-Soviet relations were exacerbated by a border incident on…”

first attested First attested in 1660 (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested in 1660; borrowed from Latin exacerbātus, perfect passive participle of Latin exacerbō (‘to provoke’) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (‘out of; thoroughly’) + acerbō (‘to embitter, harshen or worsen’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’

hear, edge, egg, ear, acid, hammer, axe, oxide, acute, acne, paragon, acupuncture, acacia, hark, acumen, acme, acuity, acetate, acyl, roselle, rosacea, 73 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós ‘sharp’

mediocre, mediocrity, 14 more

through Proto-Italic *akris ‘sharp’

eager, vinegar, acrimony, acrid, 8 more

through Latin acerbus ‘harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not…’

acerbic, 6 more

Today it means

verb To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- / exacerbate

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