Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “inexpressibles” come from?

inexpressibles (English) comes from English inexpressible, from English expressible, from English express, from French exprès, from Latin expressus, from Latin exprimere, from Latin ex-, from Latin e — whale, sea monster; abyss.

inexpressibles (English): Breeches, trousers

Definitions

  1. Breeches, trousers

Ancestry of “inexpressibles”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishinexpressibleUnable to be expressed; not able to be put into...
2EnglishexpressibleAble to be expressed
3EnglishexpressMoving or operating quickly, as a train not...
4Frenchexprèsexpress; express , special delivery; on purpose,...
5Latinexpressussqueezed; pressed ; expressed; imitated, copied
6Latinexprimeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7Latinex-out, away; throughout; thoroughly
8LatineThe name of the letter "E"; out of, from
9LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
10Latincommūnicō—
11Latincommūnis—
12Old Latincom(m)oinis—
13Proto-Italickommoinis—
14Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
15Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
16Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
17Middle Englishkyt—
18Russianкитwhale; genitive plural of ки́та
19Old Church Slavonicкитъwhale
20Ancient Greekκῆτοςwhale, sea monster; abyss
Every word from Ancient Greek κῆτος →