Etymograph

English

motiveness

Motiveness 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 1828motiveness

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 1828motiveness

Earliest quotation: 1828, John Ballantyne, An Examination of the Human Mind: “The lower animals can obviously associate with great readiness:…”

A compound of motive + -ness

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

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

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

through Latin mōtus

motif, motility, motile, 18 more

through English motive

automotive, 8 more

Today it means

noun Ability to move; mobility.

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

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

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