Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sexless” come from?

Sexless comes from English sex, which derives from Middle English sax, from Latin sexus meaning "division or category," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sek- meaning "to cut or separate."

sexless (English): Without sexual activity; Without physical or...

Definitions

  1. Without sexual activity; Without physical or...

Ancestry of “sexless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsexA category into which sexually-reproducing...
2EnglishsectAn offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing...
3Middle EnglishsecteA variety or sort; a category with a...
4Old Frenchsectea sect in philosophy or religion
5Late Latinsectaa sect in philosophy or religion, a school,...
6Latinsequipresent active infinitive of sequor; follow, come...
7LatinsequorI follow, come or go after
8Proto-Italicsekʷōrfollow, come/go after
9Proto-Indo-Europeansékʷetorto be following
10Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

Words derived from “sexless”

  • sexlessness
  • sexlessly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- →