Where does “ambivalent” come from?
Ambivalent comes from German Ambivalenz, formed from Latin ambi- (both) and valeo (to be strong), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- (to be).
ambivalent (English): Simultaneously experiencing or expressing...
Definitions
- Simultaneously experiencing or expressing...
Ancestry of “ambivalent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Ambivalenz | ambivalence |
| 2 | Spanish | ambivalencia | ambivalence |
| 3 | Latin | ambi- | around, about |
| 4 | Latin | ambō | both |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |