Where does “eccentric” come from?
Eccentric comes from Middle French excentrique, from Latin excentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος, derived from κέντρον meaning center, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱent-.
eccentric (English): Not at or in the centre; away from the centre;...
Definitions
- Not at or in the centre; away from the centre;...
Ancestry of “eccentric”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | excentrique | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | excentricus | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἔκκεντρος | not having the earth as the center of an orbit |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κέντρον | Something with a sharp point: point, spike, spur;... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | *kéntron | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | *ḱéntrom | pointed tool |