Etymograph

English

motiveless

Motiveless comes from Late Latin mōtīvum, from Latin moveō ‘to move, stir, set in motion’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-‘to move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoveō‘to move, stir, set in motion’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōtus
  6. Late Latinmodernmōtīvum
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500motif
  8. English1500–presentmotive
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1834motiveless

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-‘to move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoveō‘to move, stir, set in motion’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōtus
  6. Late Latinmodernmōtīvum
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500motif
  8. English1500–presentmotive
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1834motiveless

Earliest quotation: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “He was interested in their genuine, yet refined simplicity;…”

A compound of motive + -less

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- ‘to move’

…

Latin moveō ‘to move, stir, set in motion’

Latin mōtus

Late Latin mōtīvum

Middle English motif

English motive

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- ‘to move’

motion, remover, 83 more

through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

movement, mover, 84 more

through Proto-Italic *moweō ‘to move’

move, momentum, automobile, promoter, immobile, emotionless, 86 more

through Latin moveō ‘to move, stir, set in motion’

mobile, auto, remove, promote, emotional, motor, remote, promotion, mobility, emotion, mobilize, mobilization, removable, mobilisation, mobilise, emote, 65 more

through Latin mōtus

motif, motility, motile, 18 more

through English motive

automotive, 8 more

Today it means

adj Without a motive.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- / motiveless

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