English
furtive
Furtive comes from Latin fūrtīvus ‘clandestine, furtive, secret’, from fūrtum ‘theft’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰṓrreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fōrreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūr
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūrtum‘theft’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūrtīvus‘clandestine, furtive, secret’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600furtif
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*furtyvereconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1718furtive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰṓrreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fōrreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūr
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūrtum‘theft’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūrtīvus‘clandestine, furtive, secret’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600furtif
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*furtyvereconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1718furtive
Earliest quotation: 1718, Matthew Prior, Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.: “Novv ſhine theſe Planets vvith ſubſtantial Rays? / Does…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’
different, offer, difference, bar, reference, transfer, bear, prefer, broad, birth, bread, suffer, extraordinary, relate, translation, barrel, relation, fortune, differ, burden, barn, referendum, bore, translate, relative, baron, breeze, referee, bark, frustration, borne, fertility, broom, phosphate, extravagant, barrow, embargo, fret, phosphorus, euphoria, 157 more
through Latin fūr
Today it means
adj Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / furtive