Wordwyrt

cruel

/kˈɹuːəl/KROO-uhl
/kˈɹuəl/KROO-uhl

Meaningraw; rough

Common meaning: delighting in pain

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√KRU‘be hard, stiff, or sore’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 82, p. 733 · scan
  2. Latincrūdus‘raw, unripe’
  3. Frenchcruel
  4. Middle Englishcruelsource
  5. Englishcruel‘delighting in pain’ · today

cru also in: cruderecrudescence

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin crūdus ‘raw, unripe’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry crūdus, p. 484 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

cruderecrudescence

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