Where does “adolescence” come from?
adolescence (Middle English) comes from Old French adolescence, from Latin adolescentia, from Latin adolescens, from Latin adolescere — present active infinitive of adolēscō.
Ancestry of “adolescence”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | adolescence | adolescence |
| 2 | Latin | adolescentia | nominative neuter plural of adolēscēns;... |
| 3 | Latin | adolescens | growing up, maturing; increasing, augmenting |
| 4 | Latin | adolescere | present active infinitive of adolēscō |