Etymograph

English

arguesome

Arguesome comes from Latin arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguō1‘to clarify, to make plain’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400arguer1
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500arguen1
  4. English1500–presentargue1
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2000arguesome1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English arguesome
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2000, Larry McMurtry: “Woodrow, you're the most arguesome person I've ever met,”…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguōWiktionary, English arguesome‘to clarify, to make plain’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400arguerWiktionary, English arguesome
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500arguenWiktionary, English arguesome
  4. English1500–presentargueWiktionary, English arguesome
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2000arguesomeWiktionary, English arguesome. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2000, Larry McMurtry: “Woodrow, you're the most arguesome person I've ever met,”…”

A compound of argue + -some

Latin arguō ‘to make clear, prove, accuse’

Old French arguer ‘to argue’

Middle English arguen ‘to argue’

English argue

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’

argentine, argent, 52 more

through Proto-Italic *argus

argumentative, argumentation, 29 more

through Latin arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’

argument, 31 more

through English argue

arguable, 5 more

Today it means

adj Characterised or marked by arguing; contentious.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “arguesome”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin arguō / arguesome

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