petulance
UK[ˈpetʃʊləns]US[ˈpetʃʊləns]
n
rude or impatient behavior, especially from a child or someone who should know better.
Morpheme Breakdown
petul
ance
petul
impudent
ance
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'petulance' traces its lineage to the latin adjective petulans, meaning 'impudent' or 'forward', which itself derives from the verb petere, 'to seek, attack, or aim at'. this root conveys a sense of thrusting forward aggressively. the suffix '-ance', of latin origin via french, forms nouns denoting a state or quality. thus, the literal morphemic construction yields 'the state of being impudently forward'. over time, the meaning softened from outright insolence to describe a more childish, ill-tempered, or peevish rudeness, capturing the quality of someone, often a child, who is unreasonably irritable or impatient.
Analysis
Structure: petul (impudent) + ance (noun suffix)
petul (from latin petulans, meaning 'impudent, forward', from petere 'to seek, attack'); ance (a noun-forming suffix of french/latin origin indicating a state or quality).
Examples
the child's petulance when told he couldn't have another cookie was quite tiresome.
there was a note of petulance in her voice as she complained about the minor delay.
his constant petulance in meetings made him difficult to work with.