Thursday 26 March 2009 7 adjectives and their origins

  1. Fastidious - Middle English, from Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium disgust, probably from fastus arrogance (probably akin to Latin fastigium top) + taedium irksomeness - Circa 1400
  2. Lascivious - Middle English, from Late Latin lasciviosus, from Latin lascivia wantonness, from lascivus wanton - Circa 1400
  3. Pugnacious - Latin pugnac-, pugnax, from pugnare to fight - Circa 1642
  4. Nefarious - Latin nefarius, from nefas crime, from ne- not + fas right, divine law; perhaps akin to Greek themis law, tithenai to place - Circa 1609
  5. Rambunctious - Probably alteration of rumbustious - Circa 1830
  6. Lugubrious - Latin lugubris, from lugēre to mourn; akin to Greek lygros mournful - Circa 1585
  7. Bodacious - Probably a blend of bold and audacious - Circa 1832

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