Where does “calculus” come from?
Calculus comes from Latin calculus, a diminutive of Latin calx meaning stone or pebble, from Ancient Greek χάλιξ with the same meaning, deriving from Proto-Indo-European -lós.
calculus (English): Calculation; computation; Any formal system in...
Definitions
- Calculation; computation; Any formal system in...
Ancestry of “calculus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | calculus | diminutive of calx; pebble, stone; reckoning,... |
| 2 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |