brutal

Where does the word "brutal" come from? It comes from Latin brutus, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Brutal’s story begins in Latin: brutus meant “heavy, dull.” An Oscan word for stupid or senseless, like a beast. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as brutal. From 'brute', an animal. It reached English by 1400s as brutal. The sense 'savagely cruel' dates from the 1600s. Today, brutal means savagely violent.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient brutus "heavy, dull", an Oscan word for stupid or senseless, like a beast.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval brutal "beastlike", from 'brute', an animal.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s brutal "beastlike", the sense 'savagely cruel' dates from the 1600s.