Incline
/ɪnˈklaɪn/noun
To lean or slope inward or downward; to have a tendency or preference toward something.
Did you know?Incline comes from Latin inclinare, and its older sense could describe both a physical leaning and a mental bending of will, which is why English still uses it for both slopes and desires.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*klei-
“to lean, slope, bend”
Latin
Latin
inclinare
“to bend in, lean toward, bow”
Late Latin
Latin
inclinare
“to be disposed toward; to bend downward”
Old French
Old French
encliner
“to bend, turn, be disposed toward”
Middle English
English
inclinen
“to lean, slope; to have a tendency toward”
Modern English
English
incline
“to lean or slope; to be favorably disposed toward”