Where does “underactive” come from?
underactive (English) comes from English active, from Middle English actyf, from Old French actif, from Latin āctīvus, from Ancient Greek ἐνεργητικός, from Ancient Greek ἐνεργέω, from Ancient Greek ἐνεργός, from Ancient Greek ἐν- — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
underactive (English): Less than normally active
Definitions
- Less than normally active
Ancestry of “underactive”, step by step
underactive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English active
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | active | Having the power or quality of acting; causing... |
| 2 | Middle English | actyf | active, reactive |
| 3 | Old French | actif | active |
| 4 | Latin | āctīvus | active |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἐνεργητικός | Able to act on; acting on; Active; In the active... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἐνεργέω | to be in action or activity, to operate; to... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἐνεργός | at work, active |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἐν- | in, within; on |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | ἐν | in, on, at; among; in, at, or during the time of |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | δέρμα | skin, hide |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | γλυφή | carving, carved work; hole cut |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |