motivating
UK[ˈməʊtɪveɪtɪŋ]US[ˈmoʊtɪveɪtɪŋ]
adj
Providing a reason or incentive to act in a particular way; inspiring interest or enthusiasm.
verb (present participle)
The act of providing someone with a motive or incentive; causing someone to want to do something.
Morpheme Breakdown
mot
iv
at
ing
mot
move
iv
adjective suffix
at
e) (verb suffix
ing
participle suffix
Etymology
The word 'motivating' is built upon the Latin foundation of motion. Its core, mot, originates from the Latin verb movēre, meaning "to move," which itself traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root mewə-, also signifying "to push away" or "to move." The suffix -ivus was added to form the adjective motivus, meaning "providing motion." Later, the verb-forming suffix -ate created the verb 'motivate,' meaning "to set in motion" or "to provide with a motive." The final -ing suffix adapts it into its participial form, describing the action or quality of providing that inner drive. Thus, the literal concept of physical movement evolved through metaphor into the modern abstract sense of providing psychological impetus or incentive.
Analysis
Structure: mot (move) + iv (adjective suffix) + at(e) (verb suffix) + ing (participle suffix)
- mot: From Latin motus (moved, motion), from the verb movēre (to move). It functions as the core root conveying the sense of motion or drive.
- iv: A Latin-derived adjectival suffix (-ivus) used to form adjectives meaning "tending to" or "having the nature of."
- ate: A verb-forming suffix from Latin -atus, used to create verbs from nouns or adjectives.
- ing: An English suffix used to form present participles and gerunds, indicating an ongoing action or state.
Examples
The manager gave a very motivating speech before the project launch.
Finding a deeper purpose in her work was highly motivating for her.
He is skilled at motivating his team to achieve their best performance.