Where does “indicative” come from?

Indicative comes from Middle French indicatif, from Latin indicativus, formed from Latin in- and -ivus, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₁én meaning "in" or "within."

indicative (English): serving as a sign, indication or suggestion of...

Definitions

serving as a sign, indication or suggestion of...

Ancestry of “indicative”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle French	indicatif	—
2	Late Latin	indicativus	indicative
3	Latin	indico	I indicate, point out; show, declare; I reveal,...
4	Latin	in-	un-, non-, not; in, within, inside
5	Latin	in	in, at, on, upon, from; within, while in; into,...
6	Old Latin	en	in
7	Proto-Italic	en	in
8	Proto-Indo-European	h₁én	in

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →Every word from Proto-Italic en →Every word from Latin in- →