Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Not productive; useless; fruitless; No longer...

Ancestry of “unproductive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishproductiveCapable of producing something, especially in...
2Late Latinproductivusfit for prolongation lengthening; productive
3LatinproducoI lead or bring forth, forward or out; I conduct...
4Latinpro-forward direction, forward movement; action...
5Latinpro+ "ablative"; for; on behalf of, in the interest...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
8Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “unproductive”

  • unproductively
  • unproductiveness
  • unproductivity
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →