Where does “equinox” come from?
Equinox comes from Old French equinoce, from Medieval Latin equinoxium, from Latin aequinoctium, combining aequus meaning equal with nókʷts meaning night.
equinox (English): The intersection of the apparent path of the sun...
Definitions
- The intersection of the apparent path of the sun...
Ancestry of “equinox”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | équinoxe | equinox |
| 2 | Old French | equinoce | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | equinoxium | — |
| 4 | Latin | aequinoctium | equinox |
| 5 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 6 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |