Where does “innocuous” come from?

Innocuous comes from Latin innocuus, formed from the prefix in- meaning "not" and nocuus meaning "harmful," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European neḱ- meaning "to kill or harm."

innocuous (English): Harmless; producing no ill effect; Inoffensive;...

Definitions

  1. Harmless; producing no ill effect; Inoffensive;...

Ancestry of “innocuous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latininnocuusharmless
2Latinnocuusharmful, noxious, pernicious
3Latinnoceōto injure, do harm to, hurt, damage
4Proto-Italicnokeōharm, hurt, injure; kill, slay violently
5Proto-Indo-Europeannoḱéye-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanneḱ-to perish, disappear

Words derived from “innocuous”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European neḱ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European noḱéye- →Every word from Proto-Italic nokeō →