Where does “distinction” come from?
Distinction comes from Old French distinction, from Latin distinctionem, the noun form of Latin distinguere meaning "to separate or divide," derived from Latin dis- "apart" and a root from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning "two."
distinction (English): That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of...
Definitions
- That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of...
Ancestry of “distinction”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | distinction | — |
| 2 | Latin | distinctio | difference, distinction; sign of interpunction,... |
| 3 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 4 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 5 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 6 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 7 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 8 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 9 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |