Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “directional” come from?

Directional comes from English direction, ultimately deriving from Latin dirigo and rego, both meaning "to direct or rule," traced to Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- meaning "to guide or govern."

directional (English): Indicating direction; Of or relating to guidance...

Definitions

  1. Indicating direction; Of or relating to guidance...

Ancestry of “directional”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdirectionneldirectional
2Frenchdirectiondirection; government; the director of the...
3Latindīrectio—
4Latin-tiō—
5Latindissertātiō—
6Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
7Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
8Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
9Latincalceusshoe
10Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
11Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “directional”

  • bidirectional
  • unidirectional
  • directionality
  • multidirectional
  • omnidirectional
  • directionally
  • nondirectional
  • unidirectionally
  • bidirectionally
  • bidirectionality
  • unidirectionality
  • monodirectional
  • codirectional
  • undirectional
  • omnidirectionally
  • contradirectional
  • omnidirectionality
  • equidirectional
  • tridirectional
  • nondirectionally
  • nonunidirectional
  • codirectionally
  • tridirectionally
  • quadridirectional
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →