Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “circulate” come from?

Circulate derives from Latin circulatus, past participle of circulo, from circulus meaning circle, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- meaning to turn or bend.

circulate (English): to move in circles or through a circuit; to cause...

Definitions

  1. to move in circles or through a circuit; to cause...

Ancestry of “circulate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincirculatusrounded
2Latincirculō—
3Latincirculuscircle; An orbit; A ring, hoop
4Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
5Proto-Italic-olos—
6Proto-Italic-elos—
7Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
8Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “circulate”

  • recirculation
  • circulator
  • recirculate
  • circulative
  • cocirculate
  • noncirculative
  • circulatable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →