Where does “operative” come from?
operative (Middle English) comes from Middle French operatif, from Latin operativus, from Latin operō, from Latin Opus, from Ancient Greek Ὀποῦς, from Ancient Greek ὀπός, from Proto-Indo-European sokʷós, from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- — to follow; to see; to say.
Ancestry of “operative”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | operatif | — |
| 2 | Latin | operativus | creative, formative |
| 3 | Latin | operō | — |
| 4 | Latin | Opus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Ὀποῦς | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀπός | juice, vegetable/plant juice; fig-juice |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sokʷós | juice of plants |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |