Where does “diameter” come from?
Diameter comes from Old French diametre, from Latin diametrus, from Ancient Greek διάμετρος, combining διά (through) and -τρον (measure), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwís and -trom.
diameter (English): Any straight line between two points on the...
Definitions
- Any straight line between two points on the...
Ancestry of “diameter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | diametre | — |
| 2 | Latin | diametrus | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | διάμετρος | the diameter or diagonal of a parallelogram; a... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |