Where does “inattentive” come from?
Inattentive derives from Middle English in- combined with attentive, ultimately from Latin attendere meaning to direct one's mind toward, prefixed with ad-.
inattentive (English): Of or pertaining to lack of attention; not paying...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to lack of attention; not paying...
Ancestry of “inattentive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | attentive | Paying attention; noticing, watching, listening,... |
| 2 | Middle English | attentif | — |
| 3 | Old French | attentif | — |
| 4 | Latin | attentus | detained, delayed; preserved, guarded; attentive,... |
| 5 | Latin | attineo | I bring or hold to or near; I hold fast, keep,... |
| 6 | Latin | ad- | to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it... |
| 7 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 8 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 9 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |