Where does “nervous” come from?
nervous (English) comes from Middle English nervous, from Latin nervosus, from Latin nervus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)new-.
nervous (English): "Of sinews and tendons."; "Of nerves."
Definitions
- "Of sinews and tendons."; "Of nerves."
Ancestry of “nervous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nervous | containing nerves; made up of nerve-like fibres;... |
| 2 | Latin | nervosus | sinewy; nervous; vigorous, energetic |
| 3 | Latin | nervus | A sinew, tendon, nerve, muscle; A cord, string or... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)new- | — |
Words derived from “nervous”