English
diffusive
Diffusive comes from Latin diffusivus ‘tending to spread’, from diffundō ‘diffuse, disperse’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- ‘to pour’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰewd-‘to pour’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰunédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hundō‘to pour out’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundō‘to pour out, shed’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffundōas diffundere‘diffuse, disperse’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffusivus‘tending to spread’
- Englishearliest quotation 1791diffusive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰewd-‘to pour’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰunédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hundō‘to pour out’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundō‘to pour out, shed’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffundōas diffundere‘diffuse, disperse’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffusivus‘tending to spread’
- Englishearliest quotation 1791diffusive
Earliest quotation: 1791, Edward Gibbon, Memoirs of My Life: “I can never forget the delight with which that…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- ‘to pour’
yet, refuse, gut, font, fuse, effusive, 40 more
through Proto-Italic *hundō ‘to pour out’
confused, foundry, infusion, fondue, perfusion, profusion, effusion, 36 more
through Latin fundō ‘to pour out, shed’
foundation, founder, fundamental, refund, confusion, fusion, confuse, funnel, confound, infuse, 46 more
Today it means
adj That is spread or dispersed across a wide area or among a large number of people.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- / diffusive