Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “radioactivity” come from?

Radioactivity derives from French radioactif, English active, Latin activus, and Latin agere, meaning to drive or do, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-.

radioactivity (English): Spontaneous emission of ionizing radiation as a...

Definitions

  1. Spontaneous emission of ionizing radiation as a...

Ancestry of “radioactivity”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishradioactiveExhibiting radioactivity; Dangerous and...
2Frenchradioactifradioactive
3Frenchactifactive; asset; top
4Old Frenchactifactive
5Latināctīvus—
6Ancient GreekἐνεργητικόςAble to act on; acting on; Active; In the active...
7Ancient Greekἐνεργέωto be in action or activity, to operate; to...
8Ancient Greekἐνεργόςat work, active
9Ancient Greekἐν-in, within; on
10Ancient Greekἐνin, on, at; among; in, at, or during the time of
11Ancient Greekδέρμαskin, hide
12Ancient Greekγλυφήcarving, carved work; hole cut
13Ancient Greek-ῐ́ᾱ{{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine...
14Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
15Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

Words derived from “radioactivity”

  • nonradioactivity
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →