Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “naif” come from?

naif (English) comes from French naïf, from Old French naïf, from Latin nātīvus, from Latin nātus, from Latin gnātus, from Proto-Italic gnātos, from Proto-Indo-European ǵn̥h₁tós, from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- — to produce, to beget, to give birth.

naif (English): Naive; One who is naive

Definitions

  1. Naive; One who is naive

Ancestry of “naif”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchnaïfnaive, dewy-eyed; gullible
2Old Frenchnaïf—
3Latinnātīvus—
4Latinnātus—
5Latingnātus—
6Proto-Italicgnātos—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵn̥h₁tósbegotten, produced
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →