Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “secretive” come from?

Secretive comes from Middle English secretife, though the ultimate origin and original meaning remain uncertain.

secretive (English): Having an inclination to secrecy; Relating to...

Definitions

  1. Having an inclination to secrecy; Relating to...

Ancestry of “secretive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishsecreteseparated; To extract a substance from blood,...
2EnglishSecret—
3Middle Englishsecrette—
4Old Frenchsecret—
5Latinsēcrētus—
6Ancient Greekἀγωγόςleading, guiding; guide, escort; leading to
7Ancient GreekἄγωTo lead, fetch, bring along , take with; To carry...
8Proto-Hellenicágōto lead, to guide
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “secretive”

  • secretiveness
  • secretively
  • unsecretive
  • supersecretive
  • semisecretive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →