Where does “insensibly” come from?
Insensibly comes from English insensible plus the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, with insensible from Old English -līċ and Latin in- (not) plus sensible, tracing ultimately to Proto-Indo-European roots for negation and togetherness.
insensibly (English): In a insensible manner; without feeling or...
Definitions
- In a insensible manner; without feeling or...
Ancestry of “insensibly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | insensible | Unable to be perceived by the senses; Incapable... |
| 2 | Middle English | insensible | — |
| 3 | Old French | insensible | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | insensibilis | imperceptible, insensible; undetectable |
| 5 | Latin | sensibilis | perceptible, sensible; detectable |
| 6 | Latin | sensus | felt, perceived with the senses, having felt;... |
| 7 | Latin | sentire | present active infinitive of sentiō;... |
| 8 | Latin | sentio | I feel, I sense, I perceive; I perceive, I am... |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | sentjō | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sent- | to head for, to go, to travel; to feel |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁es- | to be |