Where does “inoffensive” come from?
inoffensive (French) comes from French inoffensif, from French offensif, from Middle French offensif, from Latin offendere, from Latin offendo, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.
inoffensive (French): feminine singular of inoffensif
Definitions
- feminine singular of inoffensif
Ancestry of “inoffensive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | inoffensif | harmless |
| 2 | French | offensif | offensive |
| 3 | Middle French | offensif | — |
| 4 | Latin | offendere | third-person plural perfect active indicative of... |
| 5 | Latin | offendo | I hit, thrust, strike; I meet, encounter; I... |
| 6 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 7 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |