Where does “covet” come from?
Covet comes from Middle English coveten, from Old French covoitier, derived from Latin cupiditas, the noun form of cupio meaning to desire.
covet (English): To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession...
Definitions
- To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession...
Ancestry of “covet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | coveten | — |
| 2 | Old French | covoitier | to desire; to covet; to lust |
| 3 | Latin | cupiditās | desire deemed good, neutral or bad |
| 4 | Latin | -tās | ty, -dom, -hood, -ness, -ship |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |