Where does “discursive” come from?
Discursive comes from Middle French discursif, from Latin discursus, formed with the Latin suffix -ivus from dis- and a root traceable to Proto-Indo-European ḱers-.
discursive (English): Tending to digress from the main point; rambling;...
Definitions
- Tending to digress from the main point; rambling;...
Ancestry of “discursive”, step by step
discursive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French discursif
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | discursif | — |
| 2 | Latin | discursus | running about |
| 3 | Latin | discurrō | to run about, in different directions, or to and fro; to roam, wander |
| 4 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 5 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 6 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Medieval Latin discursivus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | discursivus | discursive |
| 2 | Latin | -ivus | Adjective suffix |