English
energetic
Energetic comes from Ancient Greek ἐνεργητικός ‘Able to act on’, from ἐνεργέω ‘to be active’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- ‘to make’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*werǵ-1‘to make’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wérǵom2‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wérgon2‘work’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔργον3‘work’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐνεργός4energós‘active’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐνεργέω4energéō‘to be active’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐνεργητικός4energētikós‘Able to act on’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900energeticus4
- Englishearliest quotation 1801energetic4
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἔργον
- 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐνεργός
- 4 Wiktionary, English energetic
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1801, Abraham Bishop, An Oration on the Extent and Power of Political Delusion: “They are even now insulted with all the arguments…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*werǵ-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom‘to make’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wérǵomWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἔργον‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wérgonWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἔργον‘work’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔργονWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐνεργός‘work’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐνεργόςWiktionary, English energeticenergós‘active’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐνεργέωWiktionary, English energeticenergéō‘to be active’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐνεργητικόςWiktionary, English energeticenergētikós‘Able to act on’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900energeticusWiktionary, English energetic
- Englishearliest quotation 1801energeticWiktionary, English energetic. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1801, Abraham Bishop, An Oration on the Extent and Power of Political Delusion: “They are even now insulted with all the arguments…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- ‘to make’
working, wright, organic, organ, boulevard, orgasm, wrought, liturgy, bulwark, metallurgy, irk, irksome, wark, 22 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom ‘work’
through Ancient Greek ἔργον ‘work’
Today it means
adj Possessing or pertaining to energy.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “energetic”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom, Ancient Greek ἔργον, Ancient Greek ἐνεργός. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- / energetic