Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unlicensed” come from?

Unlicensed derives from English un- plus licensed, which comes from Latin licentia meaning permission, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- meaning being or existing.

unlicensed (English): Not licensed; not officially authorized; Without...

Definitions

  1. Not licensed; not officially authorized; Without...

Ancestry of “unlicensed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishUn-—
2EnglishstillNot moving; calm; Not effervescing; not...
3Old Englishstillanbecome calm, abate, subside; calm, pacify,...
4Proto-West Germanicstillijanto make still, quiet
5Proto-West Germanic-janCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
6Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
9Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Chichewa iye →