Etymology of the English word cruel
the English word
cruelderived from the Old French word
cruelderived from the Latin word
crudelis (cruel, hardhearted, unmerciful)
derived from the Latin word
crudus (raw; bloody, bleeding; youthful, hardy, vigorous)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*kreuə-Date
The earliest known usage of cruel in English dates from the 13th century.
Derivations in English
cruelheartedCognates
French
cruel, Italian
crudele, Provençal
cruzel, Spanish
cruelUsage
Word found in Modern English
