Where does “latent” come from?
Latent comes from Middle English latent, from Old French latent, from Latin latens, the present participle of lateo, meaning to lie hidden, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leh₂-, to hide.
latent (English): Existing or present but concealed or inactive;...
Definitions
- Existing or present but concealed or inactive;...
Ancestry of “latent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | latent | — |
| 2 | Old French | latent | — |
| 3 | Latin | latens | present active participle of lateō; invisible,... |
| 4 | Latin | latere | ablative singular of latus; present active... |
Words derived from “latent”