Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unostentatious” come from?

Unostentatious derives from English ostentation combined with the English prefix un-, with ostentation coming from Latin ostentātiō, from Latin ostentātīvus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ano-.

unostentatious (English): Not ostentatious; simple; unpresuming

Definitions

  1. Not ostentatious; simple; unpresuming

Ancestry of “unostentatious”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishostentatiousOf ostentation; Intended to attract notice; Of...
2Latinostentatusexhibited, shown, having been exhibited; shown...
3Latinostentō—
4Latinostendō—
5Latinobs-in front of
6Latinob-towards; against
7Latinobolusobolus
8Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
9Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
10Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
12Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “unostentatious”

  • unostentatiously
  • unostentatiousness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →