Where does “asymmetry” come from?
Asymmetry derives from English symmetry with the prefix English a-, itself from Latin ad- meaning "toward" and Proto-Indo-European h₂epo meaning "away" or "off," combined with a root from Proto-Indo-European al- meaning "to grow" or "nourish."
asymmetry (English): Absence of symmetry or proportion between the...
Definitions
- Absence of symmetry or proportion between the...
Ancestry of “asymmetry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἀσυμμετρία | disproportion, deformity |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |