Where does “distance” come from?
distance (Danish) comes from French distance, from Middle French distance, from Old French destance, from Latin distantia, from Latin distāns, from Latin distō, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
distance (Danish): distance; detachment
Ancestry of “distance”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | distance | distance; inflection of distancer:
##... |
| 2 | Middle French | distance | — |
| 3 | Old French | destance | — |
| 4 | Latin | distantia | distance, remoteness; difference, diversity;... |
| 5 | Latin | distāns | — |
| 6 | Latin | distō | — |
| 7 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 8 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 9 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |