Where does “equipoise” come from?
Equipoise comes from English equi- combined with poise, which derives from Latin pisum through Old French, ultimately tracing to Latin piscis meaning fish.
equipoise (English): A state of balance; equilibrium; A...
Definitions
- A state of balance; equilibrium; A...
Ancestry of “equipoise”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | poise | A state of balance, equilibrium or stability;... |
| 2 | Middle English | poys | — |
| 3 | Middle French | pois | weight |
| 4 | Latin | pēnsum | allotment, portion, weight (of wool measured out to a slave to spin in a day) |
| 5 | Latin | pendō | to weigh, weigh out |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | pendō | hang, put in a hanging position |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)péndeti | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pend- | to stretch |