Where does “adaptive” come from?

Adaptive comes from Middle French adapter, from Latin ad- (to) and a root related to Proto-Indo-European h₂ep- (to fasten or fit).

adaptive (English): Of, pertaining to, characterized by or showing...

Definitions

  1. Of, pertaining to, characterized by or showing...

Ancestry of “adaptive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-iveAn adjective suffix signifying relating or...
2Middle English-yfA suffix designating adjectives, adverbs and...
3Old French-if-ive
4Latin-īvusAdjective suffix
5Proto-Indo-European-iHwós
6Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “adaptive

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wósEvery word from Latin -īvusEvery word from English -ive