Where does “electronegativity” come from?
Electronegativity derives from English negative, Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον, Latin negativus, and Proto-Indo-European ne meaning "not."
electronegativity (English): the tendency, or a measure of the ability, of an...
Definitions
- the tendency, or a measure of the ability, of an...
Ancestry of “electronegativity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | negativity | The characteristic of being pessimistic or... |
| 2 | English | negative | Not positive nor neutral; Of electrical charge of... |
| 3 | Middle English | negative | — |
| 4 | Old French | negatif | — |
| 5 | Latin | negativus | denied, negative, that which denies; inhibiting |
| 6 | Latin | negō | to deny |
| 7 | Latin | nec | nor; and not, not; neither |
| 8 | Latin | neque | not; and not, also not |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | nekʷe | and not, neither, nor |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ne | not |