Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “performative” come from?

Performative comes from Middle English performatif, from Anglo-Norman performatif, from Old French performer, from par- and furnir meaning to complete or accomplish.

performative (English): Being enacted as it is said; Being done as a...

Definitions

  1. Being enacted as it is said; Being done as a...

Ancestry of “performative”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-ativeof, related to, or associated with the thing...
2English-iveAn adjective suffix signifying relating or...
3Middle English-yfA suffix designating adjectives, adverbs and...
4Old French-if-ive
5Latin-īvus—
6Proto-Indo-European-iHwós—
7Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “performative”

  • performativity
  • performatively
  • nonperformative
  • performativ
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wós →