English
petulant
Petulant comes from Latin petulāns, from petō ‘to aim at, ask’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fly’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péth₂eti‘to fly’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpetō‘to aim at, ask’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpetulāns
- Englishearliest quotation 1624petulant
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péth₂eti‘to fly’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpetō‘to aim at, ask’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpetulāns
- Englishearliest quotation 1624petulant
Earliest quotation: 1624, Democritus Junior pseudonym; Robert Burt, The Anatomy of Melancholy: […]: “Who hath not like cause to complain, and is…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fly’
pass, mile, expansion, expand, helicopter, pen, patent, feather, symptom, spawn, expanse, patina, pinion, pata, pennant, patella, penna, 82 more
through Proto-Indo-European *péth₂eti ‘to fly’
competent, repetition, 14 more
through Latin petō ‘to aim at, ask’
repeat, compete, petition, competitor, perpetual, impetus, perpetuate, perpetuity, impetuous, 16 more
Today it means
adj Childishly irritable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- / petulant