Abrupt
/əˈbrʌpt/noun
Sudden and unexpected; lacking a smooth transition.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, abruptus, is the past participle of abrumpere, a violent word built from a- (“off”) + rumpere (“to break”), the same root behind rupture and bankrupt.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reup-
“to break, burst”
Latin
Latin
rumpere
“to break, burst, tear”
Latin
Latin
abruptus
“broken off, steep, sudden”
Late Latin
Latin
abruptus
“steep, sheer; sudden”
Middle English
English
abrupt
“steep, precipitous; sudden, curt”
Modern English
English
abrupt
“sudden and unexpected; curt or brusque”