Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “uncantankerous” come from?

uncantankerous (English) comes from English cantankerous, from English contenkerous, from English contentious, from Middle French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus, from Latin contentio, from Latin contendere, from Latin com- — whale, sea monster; abyss.

uncantankerous (English): Not cantankerous

Definitions

  1. Not cantankerous

Ancestry of “uncantankerous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcantankerousGiven to or marked by an ill-tempered nature;...
2Englishcontenkerous—
3EnglishcontentiousMarked by heated arguments or controversy; Given...
4Middle Frenchcontentieux—
5Latincontentiosuscontentious, disputatious; headstrong, obstinate,...
6Latincontentiostretching, tension; competition, rivalry;...
7Latincontenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
8Latincom-allomorph of con-
9Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
10Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
11Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
12Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
13Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
14Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
15Middle Englishkyt—
16Russianкитwhale; genitive plural of ки́та
17Old Church Slavonicкитъwhale
18Ancient Greekκῆτοςwhale, sea monster; abyss
Every word from Ancient Greek κῆτος →