English
apprehensive
Apprehensive comes from Latin apprehensus ‘apprehended, arrested’, from prehendō ‘to seize’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendō‘to seize’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehendō‘to apprehend, understand, learn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehensus‘apprehended, arrested’perfect passive participle of apprehendō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehensīvus
- Englishearliest quotation 1670apprehensive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendō‘to seize’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehendō‘to apprehend, understand, learn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehensus‘apprehended, arrested’perfect passive participle of apprehendō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehensīvus
- Englishearliest quotation 1670apprehensive
Earliest quotation: 1670, John Milton: “More fond of Miracles, than apprehensive of Truth.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’
yet, guess, prey, predator, predation, reprieve, impregnable, beget, prehensile, 32 more
through Proto-Italic *praiɣendō
prisoner, imprison, impresario, 13 more
through Latin prehendō ‘to seize’
prison, surprise, prize, comprise, comprehensive, comprehend, comprehension, reprehensible, 15 more
through Latin apprehendō ‘to apprehend, understand, learn’
Today it means
adj Anticipating something with anxiety, fear, or doubt; reluctant.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- / apprehensive