Where does “polyattentive” come from?
polyattentive (English) comes from English attentive, from Middle English attentif, from Old French attentif, from Latin attentus, from Latin attineo, from Latin ad-, from Latin īn-, from Latin în — in.
polyattentive (English): Able to pay attention to several things at once
Definitions
- Able to pay attention to several things at once
Ancestry of “polyattentive”, step by step
polyattentive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English attentive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | attentive | Paying attention; noticing, watching, listening,... |
| 2 | Middle English | attentif | — |
| 3 | Old French | attentif | — |
| 4 | Latin | attentus | detained, delayed; preserved, guarded; attentive,... |
| 5 | Latin | attineo | I bring or hold to or near; I hold fast, keep,... |
| 6 | Latin | ad- | to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it... |
| 7 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 8 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 9 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
via English poly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | poly | Polytechnic; Polyethylene; Polyurethane |
| 2 | Latin | polium | Alternative form of polion |
| 3 | Latin | polion | A strong-smelling plant, perhaps Teucrium... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πόλιον | felty germander |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πολιός | grey, grizzled, grizzly; bright, clear, serene; a... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | poľľós | grey |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | polH-yós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |