Where does “birefringence” come from?
Birefringence comes from English bi- and refringence, with bi- from Latin bis meaning twice, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning two.
birefringence (English): The splitting of a ray of light into two parallel...
Definitions
- The splitting of a ray of light into two parallel...
Ancestry of “birefringence”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | refringence | refractive power; refraction |
| 2 | English | refringe | To infringe; To refract |
| 3 | Latin | refringere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |