Etymograph

English

funest

Funest comes from French funeste ‘fatal’, from Latin fūnus ‘funeral’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *fūnos.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fūnosreconstructedearlier origin unknown
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūnus‘funeral’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūnestus‘deadly, fatal’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentfuneste‘fatal’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1663funest

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fūnosreconstructedearlier origin unknown
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūnus‘funeral’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūnestus‘deadly, fatal’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentfuneste‘fatal’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1663funest

Earliest quotation: 1663, Sept 17th, John Evelyn in a letter to Dr. Pierce: “I do assure you, there is nothing I have…”

Linked words

through Latin fūnus ‘funeral’

funeral, funerary, funereal, 3 more

Today it means

adj Causing death or disaster; fatal, catastrophic; deplorable, lamentable.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *fūnos / funest

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