Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “impoliteness” come from?

Impoliteness derives from English impolite, from Latin impolitus meaning unpolished or unrefined, composed of the Latin prefix in- and a root ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pelh₂- meaning to fold or shape.

impoliteness (English): The state of being impolite; incivility; rudeness

Definitions

  1. The state of being impolite; incivility; rudeness

Ancestry of “impoliteness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-nessAppended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the...
2Middle English-nesseAffixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns...
3Old English-nesUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
4Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
5Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
6Proto-West Germanic-ī-ness, -th
7Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
8Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
9Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →