Where does “politesse” come from?
politesse (French) comes from Italian politezza, from Italian -ezza, from Latin -itia, from Latin -ia, from Latin -ius, from Proto-Italic -jōs, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
politesse (French): politeness, courtesy; polite remark/action
Definitions
- politeness, courtesy; polite remark/action
Ancestry of “politesse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | politezza | polish; refinement |
| 2 | Italian | -ezza | Added to adjectives to form abstract nouns; -ity;... |
| 3 | Latin | -itia | -ness, -ity |
| 4 | Latin | -ia | Used to form a feminine abstract noun, usually... |
| 5 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |