Etymology of the English word ferocious
the English word
ferociousderived from the Latin word
ferox (wild, bold; warlike)
derived from the Latin word
ferus (wild beast, animal; wild; wild, savage; uncivilized)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*ghwer-Date
The earliest known usage of ferocious in English dates from the 17th century.
Cognates
French
féroce, Italian
feroce, Spanish
ferozUsage
Word found in Modern English
