Where does “deforestation” come from?
Deforestation is an English formation from French déforestation, a noun derived from the prefix dé- and the noun forestation, ultimately tracing to the Latin noun foresta meaning forest.
deforestation (English): The process of destroying a forest and replacing...
Definitions
- The process of destroying a forest and replacing...
Ancestry of “deforestation”, step by step
deforestation traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French déforestation
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | déforestation | deforestation |
| 2 | French | -ation | Used to indicate action, condition, result or effect; -ation |
| 3 | Middle French | -ation | ation |
| 4 | Old French | -ation | ation |
| 5 | Latin | -ātiō | — |
| 6 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 7 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 8 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 9 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 10 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 11 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 12 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via English deforest
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | deforest | To clear of forest |
| 2 | English | forest | A dense uncultivated tract of trees and... |
| 3 | Middle English | forest | A forest or wood; A preserve for hunting... |
| 4 | Old French | forest | forest, royal hunting ground |
| 5 | Latin | forestis | dative plural of foresta; ablative plural of... |