Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “incipient” come from?

Incipient comes from Latin incipiens, the present participle of incipio meaning "to begin," formed from the prefix in- and a root from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- meaning "to grasp."

incipient (English): In an initial stage; beginning, starting, coming...

Definitions

  1. In an initial stage; beginning, starting, coming...

Ancestry of “incipient”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinincipiēns—
2Latinincipiō—
3Latincapiō—
4Proto-Italickapiōtake
5Proto-Italickapjōtake, seize
6Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂pyéti—
7Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂p-to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...

Words derived from “incipient”

  • incipiently
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- →