sensuous

the word 'sensuous' has a direct lineage from the latin root 'sensus', which denotes perception or feeling. it was consciously coined in the mid-17th century, notably by john milton, to distinguish sensory experience from the more intellectual connotations of 'sensual', which had acquired morally negative overtones. the suffix '-uous', from latin '-uosus', imparts the meaning 'abounding in' or 'characterized by'. thus, the literal construction 'full of sense' evolved into its modern abstract meaning, describing something that appeals to or is appreciated through the physical senses in an aesthetic and often pleasing manner.

Structure: sens (sense) + uous (full of) sens is from latin 'sensus', meaning 'feeling, sense'. uous is a latin-derived adjective-forming suffix meaning 'full of, characterized by'.