Where does “asymptote” come from?
Asymptote comes from Ancient Greek ἀσύμπτωτος, formed from the prefix ἀ- (not) and a root related to Proto-Indo-European sem- (to fit or join together).
asymptote (English): A straight line which a curve approaches...
Definitions
- A straight line which a curve approaches...
Ancestry of “asymptote”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἀσύμπτωτη | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἀσύμπτωτος | not falling together |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
Words derived from “asymptote”