Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “neutral” come from?

Neutral comes from Middle French neutral, from Latin neutralis meaning of neither gender, derived from Latin ne- and -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots.

neutral (English): Not taking sides in a conflict such as war;...

Definitions

  1. Not taking sides in a conflict such as war;...

Ancestry of “neutral”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchneutral—
2Old Frenchneutral—
3Latinneutrālis—
4Latinneuterneither; neuter; neuter, intransitive
5Latinnē—
6Latingēns—
7Proto-Italic*gentis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁tisbirth, production
9Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “neutral”

  • neutron
  • neutrino
  • neutrally
  • neutralist
  • neutralism
  • unneutral
  • antineutrino
  • neutralino
  • nonneutral
  • thermoneutral
  • circumneutral
  • neutrinoless
  • electroneutral
  • neutronium
  • neutronic
  • quasineutral
  • antineutron
  • neutronics
  • dineutron
  • superneutral
  • sneutrino
  • neutralistic
  • aneutronic
  • photoneutron
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →