Where does “duplex” come from?

Duplex comes from Latin duplex, combining Latin du- (two) from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ and Latin plico (to fold) from Proto-Indo-European pel-.

duplex (English): Double, made up of two parts; Bidirectional;...

Definitions

  1. Double, made up of two parts; Bidirectional;...

Ancestry of “duplex”, step by step

duplex traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin duplex

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinduplextwofold, double; bipartite, cloven; ambiguous
2LatinplicoI fold, bend or flex; I roll up; I arrive
3Proto-Italicplekāō—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpleḱ-to fold, plait, weave
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold

via Latin duplicāre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinduplicāre—

Words derived from “duplex”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleḱ- →Every word from Proto-Italic plekāō →