Etymograph

English

exacerbation

Exacerbation comes from Latin exacerbō ‘to provoke, make harsh’, from Proto-Italic *akris ‘sharp’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-1‘sharp’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrós1‘sharp’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akris1‘sharp’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akriðos1reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbus1‘harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbō1‘to make harsh or bitter, embitter’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbō2as exacerbāre‘to provoke, make harsh’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbātiōnem2
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500exacerbacyoun2
  10. Englishtodayexacerbation2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin exacerbo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English exacerbation

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-Wiktionary, Latin exacerbo‘sharp’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrósWiktionary, Latin exacerbo‘sharp’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akrisWiktionary, Latin exacerbo‘sharp’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akriðosWiktionary, Latin exacerboreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbusWiktionary, Latin exacerbo‘harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacerbōWiktionary, Latin exacerbo‘to make harsh or bitter, embitter’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbōWiktionary, English exacerbationas exacerbāre‘to provoke, make harsh’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexacerbātiōnemWiktionary, English exacerbation
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500exacerbacyounWiktionary, English exacerbation
  10. EnglishtodayexacerbationWiktionary, English exacerbation

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’

hear, edge, egg, ear, acid, hammer, acute, axe, oxide, acne, acupuncture, paragon, acacia, hark, acumen, acetate, acme, acuity, acyl, roselle, rosacea, 73 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós ‘sharp’

mediocre, mediocrity, 14 more

through Proto-Italic *akris ‘sharp’

eager, vinegar, acrid, acrimony, 8 more

through Latin acerbus ‘harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not…’

acerbic, 6 more

Today it means

noun An increase in the severity of something (such as a disease)

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “exacerbation”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin exacerbo. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- / exacerbation

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