Etymology

obsolete

O1B3S1O1L1E1T1E1

Today it means: No longer in use or no longer useful; now disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer, better, or more fashionable); outmoded. Full definition →

Latin obsolētus ← Proto-Italic *oleō ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂oléyeti
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁óp(i)
  4. Proto-Italic*op
  5. Latinob
  6. Latinobs-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂oléyeti
  9. Proto-Italic*oleō
  10. Latin*oleō
  11. Latinolēscere
  12. Latinobsolēscere
  13. Latinobsolētus
  14. English todayobsolete

Borrowed from Latin obsolētus (“worn out, gone out of use”), past participle of obsolēscere (“to wear out, fall into disuse, grow old, decay”); see obsolesce.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.