Where does “motive” come from?

motive (Latin) comes from Latin motivus, from Latin motus, from Latin movere, from Latin moveo, from Proto-Italic moweō, from Proto-Indo-European mew- — to move.

motive (Latin): vocative masculine singular of mōtīvus

Definitions

  1. vocative masculine singular of mōtīvus

Ancestry of “motive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmotivusstirred; moved
2Latinmotusmoved, stirred, disturbed, having been moved;...
3Latinmoverepresent active infinitive of moveō; second-person...
4LatinmoveoI move, stir, set in motion; I disturb, shake,...
5Proto-Italicmoweōto move
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmew-to move
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mew- →Every word from Proto-Italic moweō →Every word from Latin moveo →