Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “describe” come from?

Describe comes from Middle English descriven, from Old French descrivre, from Latin describo, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root de.

describe (English): To represent in words; To represent by drawing;...

Definitions

  1. To represent in words; To represent by drawing;...

Ancestry of “describe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdescriven—
2Old Frenchdescrivreto describe
3Latindēscrībō—
4Latindē-—
5Latindē—
6Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
7Latinposteablative singular of postis
8Proto-Italicposti—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpósti—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

Words derived from “describe”

  • indescribable
  • indescribably
  • describable
  • describer
  • redescribe
  • describee
  • describeth
  • misdescribe
  • describest
  • describability
  • indescribableness
  • nondescribable
  • describing
  • describableness
  • undescribability
  • describe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →