Etymologically
Log in

atrox

Etymology and origin of the Latin word atrox

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Compound
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*h₃ekʷ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈa.troːks][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.troks][1]

Forms

atrōx (genitive atrōcis, comparative atrōcior, superlative atrōcissimus, adverb atrōciter); third-declension one-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is probably formed from āter “black” and the root *h₃ekʷ- “to see” of oculus, so “having a black look”.[2][1] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *h₂h₁tro-h₃kʷs (“having the appearance of fire”); the OLD analyses it as āter with a suffix /-ōx/, and Lewis and Short compare ferōx from ferus.[1][3][4] The short /a/ of atrōx beside long āter is not fully explained.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Naevius, who uses it of a frightful situation.[2][5][3] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant terrible in appearance, then frightful, alarming news or times, and of war bloody and furious, as Sallust's great and savage war.[3] Of people it was cruel and fierce, of beasts savage, of deeds shocking or atrocious, as Cicero's crime so wicked, so atrocious, so heinous that it cannot be believed.[3][6] It could also mean inflexible, as Horace's unconquered, stern spirit of Cato.[3]

Döderlein groups it with trux and truculentus, all words for what has a fear-inspiring exterior.[7] Atrōcitās gave English atrocity in the 1530s, and English atrocious was formed from its stem in the 1660s.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of a frightful situation.[3][5]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence speaks of an incredible and shocking event.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a crime too atrocious to be believed.[6][5]
  • 1530s – English atrocity is recorded.[8]
  • 1660s – English atrocious is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Terrible in appearance, frightful.[3]
  2. (of situations, news) Alarming, terrible.[3]
  3. (of war) Bloody, furious.[3]
  4. Cruel, fierce, savage.[3]
  5. (of deeds) Shocking, atrocious.[3]
  6. Ruthless, inflexible, harsh.[3]

Word family

  • atrōcitās
  • atrōciter
  • āter
  • trux
  • ferōx
  • English atrocious
  • English atrocity

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes atrōx, trux and truculentus, all of a terrifying exterior.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Atrox.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/atrox. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·