English
nondescript
Nondescript comes from Latin dēscrīptus ‘copied, transcribed’, from scrībō ‘to write’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kréybʰetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*skreiβō‘to carve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEscrībō‘to write’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēscrībō‘to copy off or transcribe something from the original, write down, write out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēscrīptus‘copied, transcribed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1791nondescript
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kréybʰetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*skreiβō‘to carve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEscrībō‘to write’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēscrībō‘to copy off or transcribe something from the original, write down, write out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēscrīptus‘copied, transcribed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1791nondescript
Earliest quotation: 1791, Thomas Paine: “Imagination has given figure and character to centaurs, satyrs,…”
Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos ‘one’
…
Proto-Germanic *nainaz ‘none, nought, zero’
Proto-West Germanic *nain
Old English nān ‘no, not any’
Middle English non ‘no, not any’
English non-
Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti
Proto-Italic *skreiβō ‘to carve’
Latin scrībō ‘to write’
Latin dēscrībō ‘to copy off or transcribe something from the…’
Latin dēscrīptus ‘copied, transcribed’
English descript
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *skreiβō ‘to carve’
transcription, shriver, transcribe, ascribe, inscribe, 28 more
through Latin scrībō ‘to write’
prescription, scripture, transcript, prescribe, inscription, scribe, scribble, conscription, scriptural, shrift, scrivener, conscript, 31 more
through Latin dēscrībō ‘to copy off or transcribe something from the…’
Today it means
adj Not described (in the academic literature).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti / nondescript