# What is the origin of the word arduous?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 19, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568 "2002-04-19T19:50:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/1 "2002-04-19T19:50:00Z")
What is the origin of the word arduous?
My dictionaries don’t say other than it’s of British derivation.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/2 "2002-04-19T19:54:51Z")
It comes from the Latin “arduus”, meaning difficult.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2002, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/3 "2002-04-19T19:55:55Z")
From [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com):
> [@](#):
>
> ar·du·ous Pronunciation Key (ärj-s)
> adj.
>
> 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult: “the arduous work of preparing a Dictionary of the English Language” (Thomas Macaulay).
> 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous: a long, arduous, and exhausting war.
> 3. Hard to traverse, climb, or surmount. See Synonyms at burdensome. See Synonyms at hard.
>
> * * *
>
> ## [From Latin arduus, high, steep.]
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/4 "2002-04-19T20:00:32Z")
Really? The [Merriam-Webster on-line](http://www.m-w.com/) is pretty straightforward:
> [@](#):
>
> Etymology: Latin _arduus_ high, steep, difficult; akin to Old Irish _ard_ high
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/5 "2002-04-19T20:14:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by tomndebb \*
> \*\*Really? The [Merriam-Webster on-line](http://www.m-w.com/) is pretty straightforward: \*\*
No, all I had was this which do not cite origin -
> [@](#):
>
> ar-du-ous (är’jue uhs; esp. Brit. är’dyue-) adj.
> 1. requiring great exertion; laborious:
> arduous tasks.
> 2. using much energy; strenuous: an arduous
> effort.
> 3. hard to climb; steep: an arduous path.
> 4. full of hardships; severe: an arduous
> winter.
> Derived words
> –ar’du-ous-ly, adv.
> –ar’du-ous-ness, n.
But thanks for the link! It showed me the “ard” in the word “hard” had nothing to do with the “ard” in arduous.
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### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/6 "2002-04-19T23:25:07Z")
FWIW, the French word for slate is ardoise.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2002, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/7 "2002-04-20T00:58:49Z")
Taken from my _Chambers_
"1538(in English), borrowed from Latin _arduus_ steep, difficult. Latin _arduus_ is cognate with Old Irish _ard_ high, Welsh _hardd_ handsome. English _arduous_ may have been influenced in its borrowing from Latin by the Old French _ardu_ steep, difficult(1365).
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### Author:  [@taklon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taklon)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2002, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/8 "2002-07-03T10:40:11Z")
I thought it came from the illiterate - 'Ard as … as in "Geez that was as 'ard as "
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-word-arduous/104568/9 "2002-07-03T12:52:55Z")
I’m pretty sure it was originated by **Arden Ranger**. 😃