Where does “negative” come from?

negative (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Norwegian Nynorsk negativ, from Latin negativus, from Latin negō, from Latin nec, from Latin neque, from Proto-Indo-European nekʷe, from Proto-Indo-European ne — not.

negative (Norwegian Nynorsk): inflection of negativ: ## definite singular ##...

Definitions

  1. inflection of negativ: ## definite singular ##...

Ancestry of “negative”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Nynorsknegativnegative
2Latinnegativusdenied, negative, that which denies; inhibiting
3Latinnegōto deny
4Latinnecnor; and not, not; neither
5Latinnequenot; and not, also not
6Proto-Indo-Europeannekʷeand not, neither, nor
7Proto-Indo-Europeannenot
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ne →Every word from Proto-Indo-European nekʷe →Every word from Latin neque →