Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “conscientiousness” come from?

Conscientiousness comes from Middle French conscientieux, from Latin conscientia meaning "joint knowledge or awareness," formed from cum "with" and the suffix -ia.

conscientiousness (English): The state or characteristic of being...

Definitions

  1. The state or characteristic of being...

Ancestry of “conscientiousness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishconscientiousThorough, careful, or vigilant in one’s task...
2Middle Frenchconscientieuxconscientious
3Latincōnscientiōsus—
4Latincōnscientia—
5Latinconscirepresent active infinitive of cōnsciō; to know, to...
6Latincom-allomorph of con-
7Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet- →