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

  1. containing nerves; made up of nerve-like fibres;...

Ancestry of “nervous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinnervosussinewy; nervous; vigorous, energetic
2LatinnervusA sinew, tendon, nerve, muscle; A cord, string or...
3Proto-Indo-European(s)new-—

Words derived from “nervous”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)new- →Every word from Latin nervus →Every word from Latin nervosus →