Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “insinuate” come from?

Insinuate derives from Latin insinuāre, combining the prefix in- with sinuāre, ultimately tracing through Proto-Indo-European roots related to bending or winding motions.

insinuate (English): To hint; to suggest tacitly while avoiding a...

Definitions

  1. To hint; to suggest tacitly while avoiding a...

Ancestry of “insinuate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latininsinuatuspenetrated
2Latinīnsinuō—
3Latinīn-—
4Latinîn—
5Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
6Proto-Italicenin
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

Words derived from “insinuate”

  • insinuating
  • insinuatingly
  • insinuative
  • insinuateth
  • insinuatory
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →