Where does “indecent” come from?
Indecent derives from Middle French décent, from Latin dēcent- (meaning proper or fitting), prefixed with Latin in- (not), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning not and to go.
indecent (English): offensive to good taste; not in keeping with...
Definitions
- offensive to good taste; not in keeping with...
Ancestry of “indecent”, step by step
indecent traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French indécent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | indécent | indecent; ungodly |
| 2 | French | in- | in-; un- |
| 3 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 4 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 5 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |