Where does “diphthong” come from?
Diphthong comes from French diphtongue, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος, combining δι- (two) and φθέγγομαι (to speak or produce sound), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ (two).
diphthong (English): A complex vowel sound that begins with the sound...
Definitions
- A complex vowel sound that begins with the sound...
Ancestry of “diphthong”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | diphtongue | diphthong; digraph, trigraph; first-person... |
| 2 | Latin | diphthongus | diphthong |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | δῐ́φθογγος | with two sounds |