Where does “indifferent” come from?
Indifferent comes from Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens, composed of the prefix in- and Latin differens, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- meaning to carry or bear.
indifferent (English): Not caring or concerned; uninterested, apathetic;...
Definitions
- Not caring or concerned; uninterested, apathetic;...
Ancestry of “indifferent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | indifferent | — |
| 2 | Latin | indifferens | indifferent; neither good nor bad; unconcerned |
| 3 | Latin | differēns | spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating |
| 4 | Latin | differre | present active infinitive of differō |
| 5 | Latin | differo | I carry different ways, spread, scatter,... |
| 6 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 7 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 8 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |