Where does “dissimilar” come from?

Dissimilar comes from French similaire, from Latin dis- (prefix meaning "apart") combined with Latin similāris (meaning "like" or "resembling"), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "same" and "two."

dissimilar (English): Not similar; unalike; different

Definitions

  1. Not similar; unalike; different

Ancestry of “dissimilar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishdis-reversal or removal; apart; Used as an...
2Middle Englishdis-dis-, de
3Old Frenchdes-de-; dis-
4Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
5Latincalceusshoe
6Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
7Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “dissimilar”

Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →