Etymology of the English word active
the English word
activederived from the Latin word
activus (active; practical; active)
derived from the Classical Latin word
actum (act, deed, transaction)
derived from the Late Latin word
actus (act, performance, delivery; right of way, road for cattle; path)
derived from the Medieval Latin word
agere (to drive; drive, urge, conduct)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*ag-Date
The earliest known usage of active in English dates from the 14th century.
Derivations in English
activate,
activewear,
activist,
activize,
cardioactive,
hyperactive,
inactive,
interactive,
overactive,
proactive,
psychoactive,
radioactive,
retroactive,
underactive,
vasoactiveCognates
Dutch
actief, French
actif, German
aktiv, Lithuanian
aktyvus, Norwegian
aktiv, Polish
aktywny, Russian
aктивный, Spanish
activo, Swedish
aktivUsage
Word found in Modern English
