Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “expensive” come from?

Expensive comes from Latin expensivus, derived from Latin expendo (to weigh out, disburse), formed from the prefix ex- and the root (s)pend- in Proto-Indo-European.

expensive (English): Given to expending a lot of money; profligate,...

Definitions

  1. Given to expending a lot of money; profligate,...

Ancestry of “expensive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinexpensivus—
2LatinexpendoI weigh; I pay out; I judge
3Latinex-out, away; throughout; thoroughly
4LatineThe name of the letter "E"; out of, from
5LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
6Latincommūnicō—
7Latincommūnis—
8Old Latincom(m)oinis—
9Proto-Italickommoinis—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak

Words derived from “expensive”

  • inexpensive
  • expensively
  • inexpensively
  • expensiveness
  • inexpensiveness
  • unexpensive
  • exy
  • superexpensive
  • ultraexpensive
  • nonexpensive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet- →