Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overactivity” come from?

Overactivity derives from English activity, from Middle French activité, from Latin activitas and activus meaning "capable of acting," from agere meaning "to do or drive," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-.

overactivity (English): Excessive activity

Definitions

  1. Excessive activity

Ancestry of “overactivity”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishactivityThe state or quality of being active; activeness;...
2Middle Frenchactivité—
3Latinactivitasactivity, movement, action
4Latināctīvus—
5Ancient GreekἐνεργητικόςAble to act on; acting on; Active; In the active...
6Ancient Greekἐνεργέωto be in action or activity, to operate; to...
7Ancient Greekἐνεργόςat work, active
8Ancient Greekἐν-in, within; on
9Ancient Greekἐνin, on, at; among; in, at, or during the time of
10Ancient Greekδέρμαskin, hide
11Ancient Greekγλυφήcarving, carved work; hole cut
12Ancient Greek-ῐ́ᾱ{{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine...
13Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
14Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →