Where does “delicate” come from?
Delicate comes from Middle English delicat, from Latin delicatus, originally meaning "devoted to pleasure," derived from Latin delicia meaning "pleasure" or "delight," ultimately from the preposition de.
delicate (English): Easily damaged or requiring careful handling;...
Definitions
- Easily damaged or requiring careful handling;...
Ancestry of “delicate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | delicat | delicate |
| 2 | Latin | delicatus | alluring, charming, delightful; voluptuous; soft,... |
| 3 | Latin | dēliciae | delight, pleasure |
| 4 | Latin | dēliciō | — |
| 5 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 6 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 7 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 8 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |