Where does “discrete” come from?

Discrete comes from Old French discret, from Latin discretus meaning separated or distinct, ultimately from Latin cernere meaning to sift or discern.

discrete (English): Separate; distinct; individual; non-continuous;...

Definitions

  1. Separate; distinct; individual; non-continuous;...

Ancestry of “discrete”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchdiscretdifferent
2Latindiscrētusseparated
3Latindiscernōto separate, set apart, divide, part
4Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
5Latincalceusshoe
6Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
7Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “discrete”

Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →Every word from Latin dis- →Every word from Latin calx →