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Today it means

inert

lacking the ability to move

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Where does the word "inert" come from? It comes from Latin iners, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "inert" come from? It comes from Latin iners, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).

Inert’s story begins in Latin: iners meant “unskilled, idle.” 'in-', without, plus 'ars', skill. It reached English by 1640s as inert. 'inert gases' date from the 1800s. Today, inert means lacking the ability to move.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient iners "unskilled, idle", 'in-', without, plus 'ars', skill.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1640s inert "inactive", 'inert gases' date from the 1800s.

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