Where does “positive” come from?

Positive comes from Old French positif, derived from Latin positivus, formed with the Latin suffix -ivus from Proto-Indo-European -iHwós, ultimately descended from Proto-Indo-European -wós.

positive (English): Not negative or neutral; Formally laid down;...

Definitions

  1. Not negative or neutral; Formally laid down;...

Ancestry of “positive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchpositif
2Latinposītivuspositive
3Latinpōnōto place; to put; to lay
4Proto-Italicpoznō
5Proto-Italicpozinō
6Proto-Italicsinō

Words derived from “positive

Every word from Proto-Italic sinō