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Origin and history of austere

austere(adj.)

early 14c., of persons, manner, etc., "harsh, severe; grim, fierce," from Old French austere "strict, severe, harsh, cruel" (13c., Modern French austère) and directly from Latin austerus "dry, harsh, sour, tart," from Greek austeros "bitter, harsh," especially "making the tongue dry" (originally used of fruits, wines), metaphorically "austere, harsh," from PIE root *saus- "dry" (see sere (adj.)).

From late 14c. as "severe, rigid;" by 1590s as "unadorned, simple in style, without luxuries;" by 1660s as "grave, sober." The classical literal sense of "sour, harsh" (1540s) is rare in English. Related: Austerely; austereness.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to austere

sere(adj.)

Middle English sere, "dried up, withered, barren" (of plants, etc.), from Old English sear, from Proto-Germanic *sauzas (source also of Middle Low German sor, Dutch zoor "dry"), from PIE root *saus- "dry" (source also of Sanskrit susyati "dries, withers;" Old Persian uška- "dry" (adj.), "land" (n.); Avestan huška- "dry;" Greek auos "dry," auein "to dry;" Latin sudus "dry"). Related to sear. Figurative use from 1530s. Sere month was an old name for "August."

austerity(n.)

mid-14c., "sternness, harshness," from Old French austerite "harshness, cruelty" (14c.) and directly from Late Latin austeritatem (nominative austeritas), from austerus "severe, rigid," a figurative use, in classical Latin "harsh, sour" (see austere).

From 1580s as "severe self-discipline, ascetic practices;" hence "severe simplicity, absence of adornment or luxuries," applied during World War II to national policies limiting non-essentials as a wartime economy.

[ Austerity] stands just at the edge of that frame of mind which regards self-denial as good for its own sake ; it pushes simplicity of living and the refusal of pleasure beyond what is deemed necessary or helpful to right living by the great mass of those who are equally earnest with the austere in trying to live rightly. [Century Dictionary]
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    ascetic
    1640s, "practicing rigorous self-denial as a religious exercise," from Latinized form of Greek asketikos "rigorously self-disciplined, laborious," from asketēs "monk, hermit," earlier "skilled worker, one who practices an art or trade," especially "athlete, one in training for th
    stern
    Old English stirne, styrne "severe, harsh, grave; strict, cruel; inflexible, rigid" from Proto-Germanic *sternjaz (source also of Middle High German sterre, German starr "stiff," störrig "obstinate;" Gothic andstaurran "to be stiff;" Old Norse stara; Old English starian "to look
    severe
    1540s, "rigorous in condemnation or punishment," from French severe (12c., Modern French sévère) or directly from Latin severus "serious, grave, strict, austere," which is of uncertain origin, but de Vaan supports the theory (also in Watkins) that it probably is a suffixed form P
    persevere
    steadfastly, persist," from persevereus "very strict, earnest," from per "very" (see per) + severus "serious, grave, strict, austere...
    strait
    Of a way of life, "severely restricted, austere," c. 1400. Of a garment, strait-waisted is by c. 1400....
    stoic
    stoicus, from Greek stoikos "pertaining to a member of or the teachings of the school founded by Zeno, characterized by austere...
    Septembrist
    Pétion goes in tricolor scarf; speaks "the austere language of the law:" the killers give up, while he is there; when his...
    stark
    Old English stearc "stiff, strong, rigid (as in death), obstinate; stern, severe, hard; harsh, rough, violent," from Proto-Germanic *starka- (source also of Old Norse starkr, Danish sterk, Old Frisian sterk, Middle Dutch starc, Old High German starah, German stark, Gothic *starks
    triage
    1727, "action of assorting according to quality," from French triage "a picking out, sorting" (14c.), from Old French trier "to pick, cull" (see try (v.)). There seems to be some influence from or convergence with Latin tria "three" (as in triage for "coffee beans of the third or
    vernacular
    c. 1600, "native to a country," from Latin vernaculus "domestic, native, indigenous; pertaining to home-born slaves," from verna "home-born slave, native," a word of Etruscan origin. Used in English in the sense of Latin vernacula vocabula, in reference to language. As a noun, "n

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