Where does “sensitive” come from?
Sensitive comes from Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus, from Latin sentio meaning to perceive or feel, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sent- and h₁es-.
sensitive (English): Having the faculty of sensation; pertaining to...
Definitions
- Having the faculty of sensation; pertaining to...
Ancestry of “sensitive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | sensitif | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | sensitivus | sensitive; detectable, perceivable |
| 3 | Latin | sentio | I feel, I sense, I perceive; I perceive, I am... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | sentjō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sent- | to head for, to go, to travel; to feel |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁es- | to be |
Words derived from “sensitive”