Where does “dielectric” come from?
Dielectric comes from English electric combined with Ancient Greek δια- (dia-, meaning through) from Ancient Greek διά (diá, through), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ through the formants -kos, dwís, and dwi-.
dielectric (English): An electrically insulating or nonconducting...
Definitions
- An electrically insulating or nonconducting...
Ancestry of “dielectric”, step by step
dielectric traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English electric
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | electric | Of, relating to, produced by, operated with, or... |
| 2 | English | -ally | used with adjectives ending in -ic |
| 3 | English | ahistoric | Synonym of ahistorical |
| 4 | English | historic | Very important; noteworthy: having importance or... |
| 5 | Latin | historicus | historical |
| 6 | Latin | historia | history; account; story |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἱστορία | inquiry, examination, systematic observation,... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἱστορέω | to inquire, ask; to examine, observe; to record,... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | ἵστωρ | one who knows law and right, judge; witness; a... |
| 10 | Proto-Hellenic | wístōr | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wéydtōr | one who has seen, one who knows |
| 12 | Indo-European | *weyd- | — |
via French diélectrique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | diélectrique | dielectric |
| 2 | French | électrique | electric, electrical |
| 3 | Latin | ēlectricus | electric |
| 4 | Norwegian Bokmål | elektrifisere | to electrify |
| 5 | Latin | electricus | amber; electric |
| 6 | Latin | electrum | amber; electrum; electron |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἤλεκτρον | amber; alloy of gold and silver, electrum |