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Origin and history of transitive

transitive(adj.)

1570s, in grammar, of verbs, "taking a direct object," 1570s (implied in transitively), from Late Latin transitivus (Priscian) "transitive," literally "passing over (to another person)," from transire "cross over, go over, pass over, hasten over, pass away," from trans "across, beyond" (see trans-) + ire "to go" (from PIE root *ei- "to go").

In the general sense of "having the power of passing into something, characterized by or involving transition" in any sense, by 1610s. As a noun, "a transitive verb," by 1610s. Related: Transitiveness; transitivity.

also from 1570s

Entries linking to transitive

intransitive(adj.)

1610s, from Late Latin intransitivus "not transitive, not passing over" (to another person), Priscian's term, from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Latin transitivus "that may pass over," from transire "to pass over" (see transitive). The noun meaning "an intransitive verb" is attested from 1824.

trans

a shortening used of some words beginning in trans-, such as translation (1877), transmission of an automobile (1954). Century Dictionary also lists transactions, transpose, translator. In this work trans. is an abbreviation of transitive (adj.).

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race
Transitive meaning "run swiftly" is from 1757. Meaning "run against in a competition of speed" is from 1809....Transitive sense of "cause to run" is from 1860....In reference to an engine, etc., "run with uncontrolled speed," from 1862; transitive sense is by 1932....
convulse
1640s, "to shake or disturb by violent, irregular action" (transitive); 1680s, "to draw or contract spasmodically or involuntarily..." (intransitive); from Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere (transitive only) "to pull away, to pull this way and...
deafen
to grow deaf," Old English had adeafian (intransitive), which survived into Middle English as deave but then took on a transitive...sense from mid-14c. and sank from use except in dialects (where it mostly has transitive and figurative senses), leaving...
differentiate
1816, transitive, "make different; be what distinguishes between," from Medieval Latin differentiatus, past participle of...Non-technical transitive sense of "discriminate between by observing or describing the difference between" is from 1876;...
soften
late 14c., softenen, transitive, "mitigate, diminish" sorrow, etc., from soft (adj.) + -en (1)....To soften up (transitive) in the military sense of "weaken defenses" is from 1940. Related: Softened; softening....
alternate
1590s, "do by turns" (transitive), from Latin alternatus, past participle of alternare "do one thing and then another, do...Transitive meaning "interchange reciprocally" is from 1850; intransitive sense "follow one another in time or place" is from...
parade
1680s (transitive), "to marshal and array in military order," from parade (n.)....Transferred transitive sense of "exhibit or manifest ostentatiously, show off" is by 1818....
verb
"a word that asserts or declares; that part of speech of which the office is predication, and which, either alone or with various modifiers or adjuncts, combines with a subject to make a sentence" [Century Dictionary], late 14c., from Old French verbe "word; word of God; saying;
ire
c. 1300, from Old French ire "anger, wrath, violence" (11c.), from Latin ira "anger, wrath, rage, passion," from PIE root *eis- (1), forming various words denoting passion (source also of Greek hieros "filled with the divine, holy," oistros "gadfly," originally "thing causing mad
form
c. 1200, forme, fourme, "semblance, image, likeness," from Old French forme, fourme, "physical form, appearance; pleasing looks; shape, image; way, manner" (12c.), from Latin forma "form, contour, figure, shape; appearance, looks; a fine form, beauty; an outline, a model, pattern

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