Etymograph

English

motivate

Motivate comes from Late Latin mōtīvum, from Latin moveō ‘to move, stir, set in motion’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-1‘to move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyeti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō1‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoveō1‘to move, stir, set in motion’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōtus1
  6. Late Latinmodernmōtīvum1
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500motif1
  8. English1500–presentmotive1
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2021motivate1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English motivate
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2021, Drachinifel: “Armor-piercing shells were heading up the shell hoists, but…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-Wiktionary, English motivate‘to move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetiWiktionary, English motivatereconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweōWiktionary, English motivate‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoveōWiktionary, English motivate‘to move, stir, set in motion’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōtusWiktionary, English motivate
  6. Late LatinmodernmōtīvumWiktionary, English motivate
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500motifWiktionary, English motivate
  8. English1500–presentmotiveWiktionary, English motivate
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2021motivateWiktionary, English motivate. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2021, Drachinifel: “Armor-piercing shells were heading up the shell hoists, but…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- ‘to move’

motion, remover, 83 more

through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

movement, mover, 84 more

through Proto-Italic *moweō ‘to move’

move, momentum, automobile, promoter, immobile, emotionless, 86 more

through Latin moveō ‘to move, stir, set in motion’

mobile, remove, auto, emotional, motor, promote, promotion, mobility, remote, emotion, mobilize, removable, mobilization, mobilise, mobilisation, emote, 65 more

through Latin mōtus

motif, motility, motile, 18 more

through English motive

automotive, 8 more

Today it means

verb To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “motivate”. 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 *m(y)ewh₁- / motivate

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