Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “inoffensif” come from?

inoffensif (French) comes from French offensif, from Middle French offensif, from Latin offendere, from Latin offendo, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

inoffensif (French): harmless

Definitions

  1. harmless

Ancestry of “inoffensif”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchoffensifoffensive
2Middle Frenchoffensif—
3Latinoffenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
4LatinoffendoI hit, thrust, strike; I meet, encounter; I...
5Latinob-towards; against
6Latinobolusobolus
7Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
8Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
9Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “inoffensif”

  • inoffensive
  • inoffensivement
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →