cursed

the word 'cursed' is the adjectival form derived from the verb 'curse'. the verb itself has a murky history, appearing in old english as 'cursian', but its origins before that are obscure and not definitively traced to latin or proto-indo-european roots. it is a powerful simplex word whose core meaning of invoking harm or misfortune upon someone has remained remarkably stable. the modern adjective 'cursed' retains this literal sense of being afflicted by a curse, while also developing a weaker, colloquial use as a mild expletive to describe something annoying or detestable.

the word is a simplex form. it is the past participle and past tense of the verb 'curse', which originates from old english 'cursian', of unknown ultimate origin.