English
enervous
Enervous comes from Latin enervis ‘lacking vigour, weak’, from nervus ‘sinew’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *snḗh₁wr̥.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*snḗh₁wr̥‘sinew, tendon’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*(s)nēurosreconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCE*neurosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnervus‘sinew’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEenervis‘lacking vigour, weak’
- Englishtodayenervous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*snḗh₁wr̥‘sinew, tendon’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*(s)nēurosreconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCE*neurosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnervus‘sinew’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEenervis‘lacking vigour, weak’
- Englishtodayenervous
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *snḗh₁wr̥ ‘sinew, tendon’
neural, neuron, sinewy, 14 more
through Latin nervus ‘sinew’
Today it means
adj Lacking nerve or force
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *snḗh₁wr̥ / enervous