Where does “counterbalance” come from?

Counterbalance derives from Middle English counter- combined with Middle French balance, which comes from Latin bilanx, a scale with two pans formed from Latin bi- meaning two and lanx meaning pan.

counterbalance (English): A weight that is put in opposition to an equal...

Definitions

  1. A weight that is put in opposition to an equal...

Ancestry of “counterbalance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishcounter-in opposition to
2Middle Englishcounter-—
3Old Frenchcountre-Alternative form of contre-
4Old Frenchcontreagainst
5Latincontrāagainst
6Latinubīwhere? in what place?, in which place?
7Latincubī—
8Proto-Italic*kʷuðeiwhere

Words derived from “counterbalance”

Every word from Proto-Italic *kʷuðei →Every word from Latin cubī →Every word from Latin ubī →