excited
/ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/
adjective
Origin
Latin
excitare — to call out, summon, or stir up
Overview
Meaning Now
- Feeling or showing great enthusiasm and eagerness.
- Physically agitated, stimulated, or stirred up.
Literal older meaning
thoroughly moved or stimulated
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
excite
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The root 'citare' is the frequentative form of 'ciere', meaning 'to move'. The word initially carried a sense of physical agitation or being 'roused' from a state of rest, rather than the modern purely emotional connotation of happiness or eagerness.
Evolution
- Latin
excitare
“to wake up, rouse, excite”
From ex- (out) + citare (to move, rouse).
- Middle French
exciter
“to provoke, incite”
- Middle English
excite
“to rouse or stir into action”
Initially used in a sense of agitation or awakening.
- 17th century
excited
“in a state of agitation or enthusiasm”
Development of the participle as an adjective.
Connections
Word parts
ex-
prefix
out
cit-
root
to move, stir
-ed
suffix
participial adjective marker
Related across languages
French
excité
excited/roused
Spanish
excitado
excited/aroused
Related words
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Related to excited
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.