Where does “inutil” come from?
inutil (Bikol Central) comes from Spanish inútil, from Latin inūtilis, from Latin ūtilis, from Latin ūtor, from Proto-Slavic *ǫtorъ, from Proto-Slavic torъ, from Proto-Slavic terti, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
Ancestry of “inutil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | inútil | useless; pointless; a useless, hopeless person;... |
| 2 | Latin | inūtilis | useless, unserviceable, unprofitable |
| 3 | Latin | ūtilis | useful, serviceable, beneficial, profitable, advantageous; helpful |
| 4 | Latin | ūtor | to use, make use of, employ |
| 5 | Proto-Slavic | *ǫtorъ | croze |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | torъ | paddock, pen |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | terti | to rub, to scrape; to polish |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |