Where does “purposive” come from?
Purposive derives from English purposive, through Middle English purposen and Latin -ivus and pono, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots pro-, bʰuH-, per-, and pr̥tós meaning to place or put forth.
purposive (English): Serving a particular purpose; adapted to a given...
Definitions
- Serving a particular purpose; adapted to a given...
Ancestry of “purposive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | purpose | An objective to be reached; a target; an aim; a... |
| 2 | Middle English | purposen | — |
| 3 | Old French | purposer | to propose; to make a proposition |
| 4 | Latin | prōpōnere | — |
Words derived from “purposive”