Where does “vindictive” come from?
Vindictive comes from Latin vindicta, from Latin vindico, combined with the Latin suffix -ivus, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- meaning to show or point.
vindictive (English): Having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged,...
Definitions
- Having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged,...
Ancestry of “vindictive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | vindicta | ceremonial staff used in manumission; punishment,... |
| 2 | Latin | vindicō | to lay claim to as one's own (often with sibi) |
| 3 | Latin | vindex | claimant, vindicator |
| 4 | Latin | dīcō | to say, talk, speak, utter, mention |
| 5 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 6 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 7 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 8 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 9 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 10 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 11 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |