Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “inexpressive” come from?

Inexpressive comes from Middle French inexpressif, from Latin in- (not) plus expressif, ultimately tracing through Proto-Indo-European roots meaning not and to go or move.

inexpressive (English): Lacking expression or emotion

Definitions

  1. Lacking expression or emotion

Ancestry of “inexpressive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishin-in, into, towards, within; in, into; Used with...
2Middle Englishin-—
3Old Englishin-in, into; on, upon; internal, positioned on the...
4Old Englishinin; Alternative form of inn
5Proto-West Germanic*in—
6Proto-Germanicinin; into
7Proto-Indo-Europeanénin

Words derived from “inexpressive”

  • inexpressiveness
  • inexpressively
Every word from Proto-Indo-European én →