Where does “circumflex” come from?
Circumflex comes from Latin circumflexus, the past participle of circumflecto, composed of Latin circum- and circum, meaning "to bend around."
circumflex (English): A diacritical mark placed over a vowel in the...
Definitions
- A diacritical mark placed over a vowel in the...
Ancestry of “circumflex”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | circumflexus | bent around |
| 2 | Latin | circumflecto | I bend around |
| 3 | Latin | circum- | circum- |
| 4 | Latin | circum | about, around; in a circle, all around, on both... |
| 5 | Latin | circus | a circular line or orbit; circle, ring; a... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κρίκος | ring |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |