Where does “incapacity” come from?
Incapacity comes from Middle English in- (not) combined with Latin capax (able to hold, from keh₂p- to seize), prefixed to the Proto-Indo-European root en meaning in or within.
incapacity (English): The lack of a capacity; an inability; Legal...
Definitions
- The lack of a capacity; an inability; Legal...
Ancestry of “incapacity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | capacity | The ability to hold, receive or absorb; A measure... |
| 2 | Middle English | capacite | Ability, competence, capableness; the degree to... |
| 3 | Old French | capacite | — |
| 4 | Latin | capācitās | capability; capacity |
| 5 | Latin | capāx | That can contain or hold much; wide, large, spacious, capacious, roomy |
| 6 | Latin | -āx | ish, -y |
| 7 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 8 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |