'uninventively' originates from English, specifically formed from the negative prefix 'un-' + the adjective 'inventive' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Inventive' ultimately derives from Latin 'invenire', where 'in-' meant 'into' and 'venire' meant 'to come'.

'inventive' developed from the Latin word 'invenire' through Late Latin and Old French (e.g. 'invenir'/'inventer') into Middle English 'invent' and the adjective 'inventive'; the modern English 'uninventive' was created by adding the prefix 'un-' to mean 'not inventive', and adding '-ly' produced 'uninventively'.

Initially the Latin root 'invenire' meant 'to come upon' or 'to find'; over time it shifted toward senses of 'discover' and 'create' (hence English 'invent' and 'inventive'), and 'uninventive' and 'uninventively' came to mean 'not creative' or 'without originality'.