Where does “destructiveness” come from?
Destructiveness comes from English destructive, from Middle French destructif, from Latin destructivus, formed from the verb struo (to build or pile up) with the prefix de- (away) and the suffix -īvus (tending to), ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European sterh₃- (to spread or stretch out).
destructiveness (English): the state or quality of being destructive
Definitions
- the state or quality of being destructive
Ancestry of “destructiveness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | destructive | Causing destruction; damaging; Causing breakdown... |
| 2 | Middle French | destructif | — |
| 3 | Latin | dēstructīvus | destructive |
| 4 | Latin | dēstruō | to destroy, demolish, ruin |
| 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 |