Where does “narcotics” come from?
narcotics (English) comes from English narcotic, from Old French narcotique, from Latin narcoticus, from Ancient Greek ναρκωτικός, from Ancient Greek ναρκόω, from Ancient Greek -όω, from Proto-Indo-European -oyéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.
narcotics (English): plural of narcotic
Ancestry of “narcotics”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | narcotic | Any substance or drug that reduces pain, induces... |
| 2 | Old French | narcotique | sedative; provoking sleep |
| 3 | Latin | narcoticus | narcotic |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ναρκωτικός | making stiff or numb, narcotic |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ναρκόω | I benumb |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -όω | Added to a noun or adjective to make a verb with... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
Words derived from “narcotics”