English
execrable
Execrable comes from Latin exsecrābilis ‘execrable, accursed, detestable’, from sacer ‘sacred, holy, dedicated, consecrated, hallowed’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- ‘to make a pact, treaty’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂k-‘to make a pact, treaty’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sh₂krósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sakros‘sacred’reconstructed
- Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEsakros
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEsacros
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*sakr̥sreconstructed
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*sakerrreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsacer‘sacred, holy, dedicated, consecrated, hallowed’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsecror‘curse, detest’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsecrābilisas execrabilis‘execrable, accursed, detestable’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400execrable
- Englishearliest quotation 1779same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂k-‘to make a pact, treaty’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sh₂krósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sakros‘sacred’reconstructed
- Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEsakros
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEsacros
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*sakr̥sreconstructed
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*sakerrreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsacer‘sacred, holy, dedicated, consecrated, hallowed’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsecror‘curse, detest’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsecrābilisas execrabilis‘execrable, accursed, detestable’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400execrable
- Englishearliest quotation 1779same form
Earliest quotation: 1779, Jefferson: “But is an enemy so execrable, that, though in…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- ‘to make a pact, treaty’
saint, sanction, santo, sanctity, sanctification, 10 more
through Proto-Indo-European *sh₂krós
through Proto-Italic *sakros ‘sacred’
consecration, sacramental, consecrate, 6 more
through Latin sacer ‘sacred, holy, dedicated, consecrated, hallowed’
Today it means
adj Of the poorest quality.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- / execrable