Where does “fax” come from?

Fax is a shortened form of English facsimile, from Latin fac simile meaning "make similar," derived from Latin facio "to make" and simile "similar," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots dʰeh₁- and sem-.

fax (English): The hair of the head; A fax machine or a document...

Definitions

  1. The hair of the head; A fax machine or a document...

Ancestry of “fax”, step by step

fax traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English facts

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishfactsplural of fact
2EnglishfactSomething actual as opposed to invented;...
3EnglishfactnessThe quality of being based on facts; The quality...
4English-nessAppended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the...
5Middle English-nesseAffixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns...
6Old English-nesUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
7Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
8Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
9Proto-West Germanic-ness, -th
10Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
11Proto-Indo-European-íh₂
12Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

via English facsimile

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfacsimileA copy or reproduction; A fax, a machine for...
2Latinfac similemake similar; make like
3Latinsimilenominative neuter singular of similis; accusative...
4Latinsimilissimilar
5Proto-Italicsemalissimiliar
6Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one

via Middle English fax

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishfaxThe hair of the head
2Old Englishfeaxhair
3Proto-Germanicfahsąhair; headhair, mane
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpeḱ-to pluck; livestock; wealth

Words derived from “fax

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂