Where does “discretionary” come from?
Discretionary comes from English discretion plus the suffix -arius, from Latin discretionalis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to separate and two.
discretionary (English): Available at one's discretion; able to be used as...
Definitions
- Available at one's discretion; able to be used as...
Ancestry of “discretionary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | discretion | The quality of being discreet or circumspect; The... |
| 2 | Old French | discretion | discretion (ability to make one's own judgments) |
| 3 | Late Latin | discretio | separation; difference, distinction; discernment,... |
| 4 | Latin | discernō | to separate, set apart, divide, part |
| 5 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 6 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 7 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |