Where does “impulsive” come from?
Impulsive comes from Middle French impulsif, derived from Latin impulsivus, combining the Latin prefix in- and the root of Latin impellere meaning "to drive forward."
impulsive (English): Having the power of driving or impelling; giving...
Definitions
- Having the power of driving or impelling; giving...
Ancestry of “impulsive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | impulsif | — |
| 2 | Latin | impulsivus | impulsive |
| 3 | Latin | impulsus | pushed, driven, assailed, having been pushed or... |
| 4 | Latin | impellō | to push, drive or strike against something; assail |
| 5 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 6 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 7 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |