Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “inoffensivement” come from?

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

inoffensivement (French): harmlessly; inoffensively

Definitions

  1. harmlessly; inoffensively

Ancestry of “inoffensivement”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchinoffensivefeminine singular of inoffensif
2Frenchinoffensifharmless
3Frenchoffensifoffensive
4Middle Frenchoffensif—
5Latinoffenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
6LatinoffendoI hit, thrust, strike; I meet, encounter; I...
7Latinob-towards; against
8Latinobolusobolus
9Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
10Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
11Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
12Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
13Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →