adjective

Where does the word "adjective" come from? It comes from Latin adicere, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Adjective’s story begins in Latin: adicere meant “to add to, to throw toward.” To add to, to throw toward, from ad- (to) and iacere (to throw), with irregular past participle adjectus. Within Latin, it grew into adjectivum by ancient. A word added to a noun, from adicere. It reached English by 1400s as adjective. First recorded before 1398 in John Trevisa's translation from Latin, in the grammarians' phrase 'noun adjective'. Today, adjective means a word that describes or modifies a noun.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient adicere "to add to, to throw toward", to add to, to throw toward, from ad- (to) and iacere (to throw), with irregular past participle adjectus.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient adjectivum "a word added to a noun", a word added to a noun, from adicere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s adjective "a word that describes or modifies a noun", first recorded before 1398 in John Trevisa's translation from Latin, in the grammarians' phrase 'noun adjective'.