Where does “agent” come from?

agent (Middle French) comes from Latin agēns, from Latin agō, from Proto-Italic agō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

Ancestry of “agent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinagēnsdoing, acting, making
2Latinagōto act, to behave
3Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “agent”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →
agent — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer