English
severity
Severity comes from Latin sevēritās ‘seriousness, gravity, sternness, strictness,…’, from Proto-Indo-European *séǵʰwr̥ ‘holding’, and ultimately from *seǵʰ- ‘to hold’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seǵʰ-‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*séǵʰwr̥‘holding’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*seɣwēros‘severe’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsevērus‘severe, serious, strict, stern, stringent, austere, harsh, grave (in demeanor)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsevēritās‘seriousness, gravity, sternness, strictness, severity’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600severite
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500severity
- Englishearliest quotation 1948severity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seǵʰ-‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*séǵʰwr̥‘holding’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*seɣwēros‘severe’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsevērus‘severe, serious, strict, stern, stringent, austere, harsh, grave (in demeanor)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsevēritās‘seriousness, gravity, sternness, strictness, severity’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600severite
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500severity
- Englishearliest quotation 1948severity
Earliest quotation: 1948, Harold Vinal, Voices: “[…] the fear of God whereof ' tis written…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- ‘to hold’
school, sketch, scholar, hector, hectic, epoch, scholastic, schema, shul, 23 more
through Latin sevērus ‘severe, serious, strict, stern, stringent,…’
Today it means
noun The state of being severe.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- / severity