Where does “nervous” come from?
nervous (Middle English) comes from Latin nervosus, from Latin nervus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)new-.
nervous (Middle English): containing nerves; made up of nerve-like fibres;...
Definitions
- containing nerves; made up of nerve-like fibres;...
Ancestry of “nervous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | nervosus | sinewy; nervous; vigorous, energetic |
| 2 | Latin | nervus | A sinew, tendon, nerve, muscle; A cord, string or... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)new- | — |