Where does “intersect” come from?
Intersect comes from Latin intersecare, combining inter- with secare (to cut), which derives from Proto-Indo-European sek-.
intersect (English): To cut into or between; to cut or cross mutually;...
Definitions
- To cut into or between; to cut or cross mutually;...
Ancestry of “intersect”, step by step
intersect traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sect
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sect | An offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing... |
| 2 | Middle English | secte | A variety or sort; a category with a... |
| 3 | Old French | secte | a sect in philosophy or religion |
| 4 | Late Latin | secta | a sect in philosophy or religion, a school,... |
| 5 | Latin | sequi | present active infinitive of sequor; follow, come... |
| 6 | Latin | sequor | I follow, come or go after |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | sekʷōr | follow, come/go after |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sékʷetor | to be following |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |
via Latin intersecare
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | intersecare | second-person singular present passive... |
| 2 | Latin | secare | inflection of secō: ## present active... |
| 3 | Latin | seco | I cut, cut off; I cleave, divide; I operate,... |