Where does “motif” come from?
Motif comes from French motif, derived from Latin motivus, the adjective form of moveo meaning "to move," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mew-.
motif (English): A recurring or dominant element; a theme; A short...
Definitions
- A recurring or dominant element; a theme; A short...
Ancestry of “motif”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | motif | motive; motif; pattern, design |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | motivum | nominative neuter singular of mōtīvus; accusative... |
| 3 | Latin | mōtivus | stirred |
| 4 | Latin | mōtus | moved, stirred, disturbed, having been moved |
| 5 | Latin | -tus | Forms the past participle of verbs; Forms... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -tus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tus | Derives action nouns from verb roots |