Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “narcotic” come from?

Narcotic comes from Old French narcotique, from Latin narcoticum, from Ancient Greek ναρκόω meaning to stupefy, derived from νάρκη meaning numbness or torpor.

narcotic (English): Any substance or drug that reduces pain, induces...

Definitions

  1. Any substance or drug that reduces pain, induces...

Ancestry of “narcotic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchnarcotiquesedative; provoking sleep
2Latinnarcoticusnarcotic
3Ancient Greekναρκωτικόςmaking stiff or numb, narcotic
4Ancient GreekναρκόωI benumb
5Ancient Greek-όωAdded to a noun or adjective to make a verb with...
6Proto-Indo-European-oyétiCreates factitive verbs from adjectives
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
9Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “narcotic”

  • narco
  • nonnarcotic
  • narcotize
  • narcotization
  • narcotically
  • counternarcotic
  • antinarcotic
  • subnarcotic
  • narcoticize
  • electronarcotic
  • denarcotize
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