Where does “infinitive” come from?
Infinitive comes from Middle French infinitif, from Late Latin infinitivus, from Latin infinitus meaning "unlimited," composed of the prefix in- and infinitus from the root dʰeygʷ- meaning "to form or build."
infinitive (English): the infinitive mood or mode; A non-finite verb...
Definitions
- the infinitive mood or mode; A non-finite verb...
Ancestry of “infinitive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | infinitif | — |
| 2 | Late Latin | infinitivus | unlimited, indefinite; infinitive; the infinitive |
| 3 | Latin | īnfīnītus | boundless, unlimited, endless |
| 4 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 5 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 6 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |