English
destructive
Destructive comes from Latin dēstruō ‘to tear down, destroy’, from struō ‘put together’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *strew- ‘to strew, to spread out’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strew-‘to strew, to spread out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stréwetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*strowō‘to pile up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstruō‘put together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstruōas dēstruere, past participle‘to tear down, destroy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstrūctīvus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600destructif
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500destructyve
- Englishearliest quotation 1980destructive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strew-‘to strew, to spread out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stréwetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*strowō‘to pile up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstruō‘put together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstruōas dēstruere, past participle‘to tear down, destroy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstrūctīvus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600destructif
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500destructyve
- Englishearliest quotation 1980destructive
Earliest quotation: 1980, David Rothenberg, A New York State of Confusion: “The pastures are filled with gay political drop-outs, persons…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *strew- ‘to strew, to spread out’
strain, straw, stray, constructive, obstruction, obstruct, perestroika, stripling, misconstrue, 10 more
through Proto-Italic *strowō ‘to pile up’
through Latin struō ‘put together’
construction, structure, instrument, instructor, construct, destroyer, instruct, construe, 5 more
Today it means
adj Causing destruction; damaging.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *strew- / destructive