Where does “negative” come from?

negative (Latin) comes from Latin negativus, from Latin negō, from Latin nec, from Latin neque, from Proto-Indo-European nekʷe, from Proto-Indo-European ne — not.

negative (Latin): vocative masculine singular of negātīvus

Definitions

  1. vocative masculine singular of negātīvus

Ancestry of “negative”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinnegativusdenied, negative, that which denies; inhibiting
2Latinnegōto deny
3Latinnecnor; and not, not; neither
4Latinnequenot; and not, also not
5Proto-Indo-Europeannekʷeand not, neither, nor
6Proto-Indo-Europeannenot
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ne →Every word from Proto-Indo-European nekʷe →Every word from Latin neque →