Where does “diversionary” come from?
Diversionary comes from English diversion plus the suffix -ary, derived from Latin divertere meaning to turn aside, composed of Latin di- and vertere meaning to turn, from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
diversionary (English): That serves as a diversion
Definitions
- That serves as a diversion
Ancestry of “diversionary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | diversion | A tactic used to draw attention away from the... |
| 2 | French | diversion | pastime, diversion, entertainment |
| 3 | Latin | diversio | the act of diverting, a diversion |
| 4 | Latin | dīvertō | to separate |
| 5 | Latin | dī- | Two, double; di |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | δί- | Twice, double |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | διά | throughout |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dwís | twice, doubly; in two |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |