Where does “ostentatious” come from?
Ostentatious derives from English -ous, English -y, Latin ostentatio, Latin -osus, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, and Latin -ia, ultimately describing a tendency toward displaying or showing off.
ostentatious (English): Of ostentation; Intended to attract notice; Of...
Definitions
- Of ostentation; Intended to attract notice; Of...
Ancestry of “ostentatious”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | ostentatus | exhibited, shown, having been exhibited; shown... |
| 2 | Latin | ostentō | to exhibit, show, present |
| 3 | Latin | ostendō | to expose to view, exhibit, show |
| 4 | Latin | obs- | in front of |
| 5 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 6 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |