Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “indelicacy” come from?

Indelicacy comes from Middle English indelicacie, from Latin indelicia, formed from the prefix in- plus delicia, meaning delight or pleasure, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European oyd-.

indelicacy (English): The condition of being indelicate; An indelicate...

Definitions

  1. The condition of being indelicate; An indelicate...

Ancestry of “indelicacy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdelicacyThe quality of being delicate; Something...
2Middle Englishdelicacie—
3Middle Englishdelicatdelicate
4Latindelicatusalluring, charming, delightful; voluptuous; soft,...
5Latindēliciae—
6Latindēliciō—
7Latindē-—
8Latindē—
9Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
10Latinposteablative singular of postis
11Proto-Italicposti—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpósti—
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →