Where does “psychoactive” come from?

Psychoactive combines English psycho- from Ancient Greek ψυχή and English active from Latin activus, derived from Latin agere meaning to do or drive, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-.

psychoactive (English): Affecting the mind or mental processes; Any drug...

Definitions

Affecting the mind or mental processes; Any drug...

Ancestry of “psychoactive”, step by step

psychoactive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English active

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	active	Having the power or quality of acting; causing...
2	Middle English	actyf	active, reactive
3	Old French	actif	active
4	Latin	āctīvus	active
5	Ancient Greek	ἐνεργητικός	Able to act on; acting on; Active; In the active...
6	Ancient Greek	ἐνεργέω	to be in action or activity, to operate; to...
7	Ancient Greek	ἐνεργός	at work, active
8	Ancient Greek	ἐν-	in, within; on
9	Ancient Greek	ἐν	in, on, at; among; in, at, or during the time of
10	Ancient Greek	δέρμα	skin, hide
11	Ancient Greek	γλυφή	carving, carved work; hole cut
12	Ancient Greek	-ῐ́ᾱ	{{l\|en\|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine...
13	Proto-Indo-European	-íh₂	—
14	Proto-Indo-European	-h₂	Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

via English psycho

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	psycho	Psychotic, or otherwise insane; A person who is...
2	English	psychology	The study of the human mind; The study of human...
3	French	psychologie	psychology
4	Latin	psychologia	—
5	Latin	-logia	-logy; the study of
6	Ancient Greek	-λογία	Base for nouns denoting the study of something,...
7	Ancient Greek	λόγος	That which is said: word, sentence, speech,...
8	Ancient Greek	λέγω	I put in order, arrange, gather; I choose, count,...
9	Proto-Indo-European	leǵ-	to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

Words derived from “psychoactive”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →Every word from Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ →Every word from Ancient Greek ἐν- →