Where does “debate” come from?
Debate comes from Old French debatre, meaning to fight or contend.
debate (English): An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered...
Definitions
- An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered...
Ancestry of “debate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | débat | debate |
| 2 | German | Debatte | debate |
| 3 | French | débattre | to negotiate; to discuss, debate; to struggle |
| 4 | Middle French | debatre | — |
| 5 | Old French | debatre | to fight, contend, debate, also literarlly to... |
| 6 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 7 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 8 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |