Where does “neutrality” come from?
Neutrality comes from Middle French neutralité, derived from Latin neutralitas, meaning the state of being neutral or not taking sides.
neutrality (English): The state or quality of being neutral; the...
Definitions
- The state or quality of being neutral; the...
Ancestry of “neutrality”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | neutralité | — |
| 2 | Latin | neutralitas | neutrality |
| 3 | Latin | neutrālis | neuter |
| 4 | Latin | neuter | neither; neuter; neuter, intransitive |
| 5 | Latin | nē | no; not |
| 6 | Latin | gēns | Roman clan (related by birth or marriage and sharing a common name and often united by certain religious rites) |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *gentis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁tis | birth, production |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |