Assausive

/əˈsɔːsɪv/ adjective

Definition

Variant or archaic form relating to assault or attacking behavior.

Etymology

An older or dialectal variant of assaultive with -uous or -usive ending rather than -ive. This rare form appears mainly in historical texts.

Kelly Says

This is essentially a fossil word—English speakers naturally preferred 'assaultive' over 'assausive,' and language naturally selected the simpler version.

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