Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “evasive” come from?

Evasive comes from French évasif, formed with the French suffix -if from Latin -ivus, ultimately derived from Latin ex meaning "out."

evasive (English): Tending to avoid speaking openly or making...

Definitions

  1. Tending to avoid speaking openly or making...

Ancestry of “evasive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchévasifevasive, slippery, noncommittal
2Frenchévasionescape; escapism
3Middle Frenchévasion—
4Latinevasiō—
5Latin-tiō—
6Latindissertātiō—
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “evasive”

  • evasively
  • evasiveness
  • unevasive
  • nonevasive
  • immunoevasive
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →