Where does “explicit” come from?
Explicit comes from French explicite, from Latin explicitus (past participle of explico, meaning to unfold or unfurl), from the prefix ex- and root pel-.
explicit (English): Very specific, clear, or detailed; Containing...
Definitions
- Very specific, clear, or detailed; Containing...
Ancestry of “explicit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | explicite | explicit, unequivocal, overt; first-person... |
| 2 | Latin | explicitus | Alternative form of explicātus; disentangled,... |
| 3 | Latin | explico | I unfold, unfurl, uncoil, loosen, undo; I deploy,... |
| 4 | Latin | plicō | to fold, bend or flex; to roll up |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pleḱ- | to fold, plait, weave |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |