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outrage

OUT-rayj · noun

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Origin

Outrage comes from Middle English outrage, borrowed from Old French outrage or oultrage, meaning 'excess.' That in turn traces to Vulgar Latin *ultrāticum, 'a going beyond,' built from Latin ultrā, 'beyond.'

Journey

Because the word looks like out + rage, English speakers reshaped its pronunciation to match, even though rage has no real etymological connection to it. The verb followed its own path, from Middle English outragen and Old French oultragier.

Related words

The facts given don't point to any true cognate in English beyond the word's own noun and verb forms.

More words

From Old French

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