English
sourness
Sourness comes from Old English sūr ‘sour’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *súHros.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*súHros‘sour, salty, bitter’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūraz‘sour, acidic’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sūr‘sour, acidic’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sūr‘sour’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150sūrnes
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sowrenesse
- Englishearliest quotation 1603–1604sourness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*súHros‘sour, salty, bitter’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūraz‘sour, acidic’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sūr‘sour, acidic’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sūr‘sour’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150sūrnes
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sowrenesse
- Englishearliest quotation 1603–1604sourness
Earliest quotation: 1603–1604, George Chapman, Bussy D’Ambois: A Tragedie: […]: “[O]ur Tympanouſe ſtatiſts / (In their affected grauitie of…”
Formed from sour + -ness
Proto-Indo-European *súHros
Proto-Germanic *sūraz
Proto-West Germanic *sūr ‘sour, acidic’
Old English sūr
Middle English sour ‘sour, acidic, bitter’
English sour
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *sūraz ‘sour, acidic’
Today it means
noun The condition or quality of being sour.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *súHros / sourness