Etymology Map
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Coarse

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means rough in texture; rude

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
cursus
Latin · ancient
"course"
the ordinary 'course' of things: plain, everyday
2
Stage 2 of 3
cours
Old French · medieval
"course"
'of course' cloth meant ordinary cloth
3
Stage 3 of 3
coarse
English · 1400s
"ordinary"
split from 'course' in spelling in the 1700s
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Coarse’s story begins in Latin: cursus meant “course.” The ordinary 'course' of things: plain, everyday. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cours. 'of course' cloth meant ordinary cloth. It reached English by 1400s as coarse. Split from 'course' in spelling in the 1700s. Today, coarse means rough in texture; rude.