Where does “passivity” come from?
Passivity derives from French passif, from Latin passivus (capable of suffering), itself from pati (to suffer), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pe(i)-.
passivity (English): The state of being passive; Submissiveness; A...
Definitions
- The state of being passive; Submissiveness; A...
Ancestry of “passivity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | passive | Being subjected to an action without producing a... |
| 2 | Middle English | passyf | passive unreactive, inactive |
| 3 | French | passif | the passive voice; liability; passive |
| 4 | Latin | passivus | subject to passion or emotion; passive |
| 5 | Latin | -īvus | Adjective suffix |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |