Where does “apostrophe” come from?
Apostrophe comes from French apostrophe, from Latin apostrophus, from Ancient Greek ἀπό meaning "away from" combined with a verbal element, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂epo.
apostrophe (English): The text character ’, which serves as a...
Definitions
- The text character ’, which serves as a...
Ancestry of “apostrophe”, step by step
apostrophe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French apostrophe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | apostrophe | apostrophe; first/third-person singular present... |
| 2 | Latin | apostrŏphus | The symbol '; apostrophe |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀπόστροφος | accent of elision |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀποστρέφω | I turn away |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀπο- | Indicating movement: away, from, off; Indicating... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἀπό | from, away from; because of, as a result of |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ἥλιος | sun |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | τύπος | A blow, pressing; The results of a blow: mark,... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | τύπτω | to beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewp- | to push, to stick |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tew- | to push, to hit |
via Latin apostrŏphe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | apostrŏphe | — |