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Origin and history of bitter

bitter(adj.)

Old English biter "having a harsh taste, sharp, cutting; angry, full of animosity; cruel," from Proto-Germanic *bitras-, reconstructed to be from a suffixed form of PIE root *bheid- "to split" (source also of Old English bitan "to bite;" see bite (v.)).

If so, the meaning drifted in prehistoric times from "biting," to "of pungent taste, acrid-tasting." It also was used figuratively in Old English of states of mind and words. Related: Bitterly. Germanic cognates include Old Saxon bittar, Old Norse bitr, Dutch bitter, Old High German bittar, German bitter, Gothic baitrs "bitter."

Entries linking to bitter

bite(v.)

Old English bitan "to pierce or cut with the teeth" (class I strong verb; past tense bat, past participle biten), from Proto-Germanic *beitanan (source also of Old Saxon bitan, Old Norse and Old Frisian bita "cut, pierce, penetrate," Middle Dutch biten, Dutch bijten, German beissen, Gothic beitan "to bite"), from PIE root *bheid- "to split," with derivatives in Germanic referring to biting.

To bite the bullet is said to be 1700s military slang, from old medical custom of having the patient bite a lead bullet during an operation to divert attention from pain and reduce screaming. Figurative use of this is from 1891; the custom itself attested from 1840s.

Figurative bite (one's) tongue "refrain from speaking" is by 1590s; to bite (one's) lip to repress signs of some emotion or reaction is from early 14c. To bite off more than one can chew (c. 1880) is U.S. slang, from plug tobacco.

To bite the dust "be thrown or struck down," hence "be vanquished, die, be slain, perish in battle" is from 1750, earlier bite the ground (1670s), lick the dust (late 14c.), which OED identifies as "a Hebraism," but Latin had the same image; compare Virgil's procubuit moriens et humum semel ore momordit.

bitter end(n.)

by 1759 in lexicons of nautical language, "the part of a cable which is round about the bitts" (the two great timbers used to belay cables) when the ship is at anchor (see bitt).

Bitter end of the Cable, the End which is wound about the Bitts. ["The News-Readers Pocket-Book: Or, a Military Dictionary," London, 1759]

When a cable is played out to the bitter end, there is no more left to play. Hence the term began to be used c. 1835 in non-nautical language and with probable influence of if not displacement by bitter (adj.).

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bittersweet
"uniting bitterness and sweetness," 1610s, from bitter (adj.) + sweet (adj.). Perhaps older, as the same word is used as a noun in Middle English (late 14c.) for drinks or experiences that are both bitter and sweet and especially in reference to a type of apple; later of woody ni
acid
1620s, "of the taste of vinegar," from French acide (16c.) or directly from Latin acidus "sour, sharp, tart" (also figurative, "disagreeable," etc.), adjective of state from acere "to be sour, be sharp" (from PIE root *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce"). Figurative us
acrid
1712, "sharp and bitter to the taste," formed irregularly (perhaps by influence of acrimonious) from Latin acer (fem. acris) "sharp to the senses, pungent, bitter; eager, fierce," also figuratively, of qualities, "active, ardent, spirited," also "hasty, quick, passionate;" of min
alum
etc.," late 14c., from Old French alum, alun, from Latin alumen "alum," also "the alum plant," from Proto-Italic *alu- "bitter...substance" literally "bitter salt," cognate with Greek aludoimos "bitter" and perhaps with English ale and some Balto-Slavic...
maraschino
from or flavored with marasca cherries, from Italian maraschino "strong, sweet liqueur made from juice of the marasca" (a bitter...black cherry), a shortening of amarasca, from amaro "bitter," from Latin amārus "sour," from PIE root *om- "raw, bitter"...
acerbity
sharpness, bitterness, sourness," literal and figurative (as in virus acerbitatis "the poison of malice"), from acerbus "bitter...The earliest use in English is figurative, of "sharp and bitter" persons. Of tastes, from 1610s....
absinthe
also absinth (though properly that means "wormwood"), "bitter, pale-green alcoholic liqueur distilled from wine mixed with...The wormwood plant itself is figurative of "bitter" sorrow; it was known as absinth in English from c. 1500; Old English...
taste
c. 1300, tasten, "perceive the flavor of" (something); "take a little food or drink; try the quality or flavor of;" from Old French taster "to taste, sample by mouth; enjoy" (13c.), earlier "to feel, touch, pat, stroke" (12c., Modern French tâter), from Vulgar Latin *tastare, whi
state
[mode or form of existence] c. 1200, stat, "circumstances, position in society, temporary attributes of a person or thing, conditions," from Old French estat "position, condition; status, stature, station," and directly from Latin status "a station, position, place; way of standi
sulfurous
1520s, "containing, impregnated with, or resembling sulfur; of the nature of brimstone," from Latin sulphurosus "full of sulfur," or a native formation from sulfur + -ous. The spelling sulphurous is standard in Britain. Hence figurative use with suggestions of hellfire (c. 1600).

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