Nervousness
/ˈnɜːr.vəs.nəs/noun
The state of being anxious, uneasy, or easily agitated.
Did you know?In Latin, *nervus* meant a sinew, tendon, or a taut cord, so the modern emotional sense grew from the body’s wiring before it became a word for fear.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sneu-
“to twist, pull tight, or stretch”
Latin
Latin
nervus
“a sinew, tendon, cord, or strength”
Late Latin
Latin
nervōsus
“full of sinews; strong, vigorous”
Middle French
French
nerveux
“sinewy; vigorous; later, excitable or anxious”
16th Century
English
nervous
“sinewy or full of force; later, timid, excitable, or anxious”
19th Century
English
nervousness
“the quality or state of being nervous”