Where does “disinterested” come from?
Disinterested comes from English disinterest, from Old French interesse, from Latin dis- (prefix meaning "apart") and ex (meaning "to be"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁ésmi meaning "I am."
disinterested (English): Having no stake or interest in the outcome; free...
Definitions
- Having no stake or interest in the outcome; free...
Ancestry of “disinterested”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | disinterest | A lack of interest; The absence of bias; What is... |
| 2 | English | interest | The price paid for obtaining, or price received... |
| 3 | Old French | interest | — |
| 4 | French | intérêt | interest; point |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | interesse | present active infinitive of intersum; to... |
| 6 | Latin | interesse | present active infinitive of intersum; to... |
| 7 | Latin | esse | present infinitive of sum; state, condition;... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | οὐσία | that which is one's own, one's substance,... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | εἰμί | To be, exist; live; To be; it is possible |
| 10 | Proto-Hellenic | ehmi | to be |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ésmi | first-person singular present indicative of... |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ēs- | to be |