Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “activity” come from?

Activity derives from Middle French activité, from Latin activitas, from the adjective activus, itself from the verb agere meaning "to do" or "to drive," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-.

activity (English): The state or quality of being active; activeness;...

Definitions

  1. The state or quality of being active; activeness;...

Ancestry of “activity”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchactivité—
2Latinactivitasactivity, movement, action
3Latināctīvus—
4Ancient GreekἐνεργητικόςAble to act on; acting on; Active; In the active...
5Ancient Greekἐνεργέωto be in action or activity, to operate; to...
6Ancient Greekἐνεργόςat work, active
7Ancient Greekἐν-in, within; on
8Ancient Greekἐνin, on, at; among; in, at, or during the time of
9Ancient Greekδέρμαskin, hide
10Ancient Greekγλυφήcarving, carved work; hole cut
11Ancient Greek-ῐ́ᾱ{{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine...
12Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
13Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

Words derived from “activity”

  • inactivity
  • hyperactivity
  • overactivity
  • bioactivity
  • hypoactivity
  • underactivity
  • coactivity
  • photoactivity
  • nonactivity
  • vasoactivity
  • subactivity
  • multiactivity
  • electroactivity
  • immunoactivity
  • superactivity
  • neuroactivity
  • counteractivity
  • normoactivity
  • self-activity
  • photoelectroactivity
  • cytoactivity
  • cyberactivity
  • ektiviti
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →