Wordwyrt

austere

/ɔːsˈtɪə/aw-STIR
/ɔsˈtɪɹ/aw-STIR

Meaningharsh or drying

Common meaning: severe or plain in style

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√SUS‘dry, wither’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 394, p. 744 · scan
  2. Greekaustēros‘harsh or drying’source
  3. Latinausterus‘harsh to the taste or severe’source
  4. Old Frenchaustere‘severe’source
  5. Englishaustere‘severe or plain in style’ · today

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 Greek austēros ‘harsh or drying’.

Roots

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