Where does “examination” come from?
Examination comes from Old French examinacion, from Latin examinatio, derived from examinare meaning to weigh or test, ultimately from examen meaning a weighing or balance.
examination (English): The act of examining; Particularly, an inspection...
Definitions
- The act of examining; Particularly, an inspection...
Ancestry of “examination”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | examinacioun | — |
| 2 | Old French | examinacion | — |
| 3 | Latin | examinatio | equipoise, equilibrium; weighing, examination |
| 4 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 5 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 6 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 7 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 9 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 10 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |