Wordwyrt

severe

/səˈvɪə/suh-VIR
/səˈvɪɹ/suh-VIR

Meaningstern

Common meaning: very harsh or serious

Journey through time

  1. Latinsevērus, -a, -um‘stern’
  2. Frenchsevere
  3. Englishsevere‘very harsh or serious’ · today

sever also in: persevere

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 sevērus ‘stern’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry sevērus, p. 1686 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

persevere

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