Where does “instinct” come from?
Instinct comes from Latin instinctus, past participle of instinguo, formed from the prefix in and a root related to Proto-Indo-European h₁én meaning "to be."
instinct (English): A natural or inherent impulse or behaviour; An...
Definitions
- A natural or inherent impulse or behaviour; An...
Ancestry of “instinct”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | īnstinctus | — |
| 2 | Latin | instinguo | to incite, to instigate |
| 3 | Latin | īn- | — |
| 4 | Latin | în | — |
| 5 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
Words derived from “instinct”