Where does “unproductive” come from?
Unproductive comes from English productive, which combines Latin unus meaning "one" and Latin -ivus, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots including per- and bʰuH-.
unproductive (English): Not productive; useless; fruitless; No longer...
Definitions
- Not productive; useless; fruitless; No longer...
Ancestry of “unproductive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | productive | Capable of producing something, especially in... |
| 2 | Late Latin | productivus | fit for prolongation lengthening; productive |
| 3 | Latin | produco | I lead or bring forth, forward or out; I conduct... |
| 4 | Latin | pro- | forward direction, forward movement; action... |
| 5 | Latin | pro | + "ablative"; for; on behalf of, in the interest... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |