Where does “duplicate” come from?
Duplicate comes from Latin duplicatus, the past participle of duplico meaning "to double," from duplex "twofold," combining Latin plico "to fold" with Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ "two" and pel- "to fold."
duplicate (English): Being the same as another; identical; In which...
Definitions
- Being the same as another; identical; In which...
Ancestry of “duplicate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | duplicātus | doubled, duplicated |
| 2 | Latin | duplicō | to double, multiply by two, duplicate; repeat; enlarge, increase, exaggerate |
| 3 | Latin | duplex | twofold, double; bipartite, cloven; ambiguous |
| 4 | Latin | plico | I fold, bend or flex; I roll up; I arrive |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | plekāō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pleḱ- | to fold, plait, weave |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |