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couth

(kth)

adj.

Refined; sophisticated: "We forgot ... all the promises we'd made to be civilized and ladylike, couth and kempt" (Karen Russell).

Refinement; sophistication: "The man has no couth" (Los Angeles Times).

[Back-formation from UNCOUTH.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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