English
activate
Activate comes from Middle English actyf ‘active, reactive’, from Latin agō ‘to act, to behave’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*agō‘to drive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEagō‘to act, to behave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāctīvus‘active’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400actif‘active’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500actyf‘active, reactive’
- English1500–presentactive
- Englishtodayactivate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*agō‘to drive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEagō‘to act, to behave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāctīvus‘active’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400actif‘active’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500actyf‘active, reactive’
- English1500–presentactive
- Englishtodayactivate
A compound of active + -ate
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
Latin agō ‘to do, to act’
Latin āctīvus
Old French actif
Middle English actyf ‘active’
English active
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-
suggest, register, essay, gesture, digest, acre, congestion, agrarian, belligerent, progesterone, ingest, gestation, agger, samaj, agitate, axiomatic, gerund, gestion, 132 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
strategy, agony, antagonist, axiom, antagonism, agonist, reactionary, antagonize, glucagon, stratagem, agonize, 105 more
through Proto-Italic *agō ‘to drive’
reaction, transaction, unambiguous, reagent, ambiguously, 83 more
through Latin agō ‘to act, to behave’
agency, agent, act, action, actual, agenda, actor, examine, examination, ambiguous, agile, ambiguity, agility, assay, squat, enact, agitation, cogent, actuator, exigent, inexact, actuation, redact, actuate, 95 more
through Latin āctīvus ‘active’
inactive, hyperactivity, 26 more
through Old French actif ‘active’
Today it means
verb To encourage development or induce increased activity; to stimulate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- / activate