English
innocuous
Innocuous comes from Latin innocuus ‘harmless’, from nocuus ‘harmful’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- ‘to perish, disappear’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*neḱ-‘to perish, disappear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*noḱéyeti‘to make disappear, to cause death’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nokeō‘to harm, hurt, injure’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnoceō‘to harm, damage’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnocuus‘harmful’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinnocuus‘harmless’
- Englishearliest quotation 1838innocuous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*neḱ-‘to perish, disappear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*noḱéyeti‘to make disappear, to cause death’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nokeō‘to harm, hurt, injure’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnoceō‘to harm, damage’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnocuus‘harmful’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinnocuus‘harmless’
- Englishearliest quotation 1838innocuous
Earliest quotation: 1838, Richard Chenevix Trench, Sonnet I. To England. In the Tyrol.: “With its green cupola or tapering spire, / Which…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- ‘to perish, disappear’
nectar, obnoxious, necropolis, internecine, 19 more
through Latin noceō ‘to harm, damage’
Today it means
adj Harmless; producing no ill effect.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- / innocuous