Where does “-ive” come from?

-ive (Middle English) comes from Middle English -yf, from Old French -if, from Latin -īvus, from Proto-Indo-European -iHwós, from Proto-Indo-European -wós — Creates adjectives from verb stems.

-ive (Middle English): Alternative form of -yf

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of -yf

Ancestry of “-ive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-yfA suffix designating adjectives, adverbs and...
2Old French-if-ive
3Latin-īvusAdjective suffix
4Proto-Indo-European-iHwós—
5Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wós →Every word from Latin -īvus →Every word from Old French -if →