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Where does the word "devastate" come from? It comes from Latin devastare, and was adopted directly into English (1630s).
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Where does the word "devastate" come from? It comes from Latin devastare, and was adopted directly into English (1630s).
Devastate’s story begins in Latin: devastare meant “to lay waste.” 'de-' plus 'vastare', to lay waste. It reached English by 1630s as devastate. Emotional 'devastated' dates from the 1900s. Today, devastate means to destroy; to overwhelm with grief.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient devastare "to lay waste", 'de-' plus 'vastare', to lay waste.
- Stage 2 · English · 1630s devastate "to lay waste", emotional 'devastated' dates from the 1900s.