Where does “maladaptive” come from?
Maladaptive derives from English adaptive, which comes from Middle French adapter, from Latin ad- meaning "to" and -ivus forming adjectives, with the prefix mala- meaning "bad" or "ill."
maladaptive (English): Showing inadequate or faulty adaptation to a new...
Definitions
- Showing inadequate or faulty adaptation to a new...
Ancestry of “maladaptive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | adaptive | Of, pertaining to, characterized by or showing... |
| 2 | English | -ive | An adjective suffix signifying relating or... |
| 3 | Middle English | -yf | A suffix designating adjectives, adverbs and... |
| 4 | Old French | -if | -ive |
| 5 | Latin | -īvus | Adjective suffix |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |