English
rebarbative
Rebarbative comes from French rébarbatif ‘repellent, disagreeable’, from Middle French rebarber ‘to oppose’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰardʰéh₂ ‘beard’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰardʰéh₂‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*farðā‘beard’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbarba‘beard’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600rebarber‘to oppose’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentrébarbatif‘repellent, disagreeable’
- Englishearliest quotation 1991rebarbative
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰardʰéh₂‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*farðā‘beard’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbarba‘beard’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600rebarber‘to oppose’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentrébarbatif‘repellent, disagreeable’
- Englishearliest quotation 1991rebarbative
Earliest quotation: 1991, Anthony Grafton: “Poliziano took great pleasure in incorporating the new myths,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰers- ‘top, tip, point’
far, brush, prod, braid, bristle, fash, borscht, beardless, farro, 14 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰardʰéh₂ ‘beard’
through Latin barba ‘beard’
Today it means
adj Irritating, repellent.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰardʰéh₂ / rebarbative