Where does “invariant” come from?
Invariant derives from English variant, Latin varians, Latin in-, and Latin in, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European ne, oyd-, en, and en.
invariant (English): not varying; constant; Unaffected by a specified...
Definitions
- not varying; constant; Unaffected by a specified...
Ancestry of “invariant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | variant | Showing variety, diverse; Showing deviation or... |
| 2 | Old French | variant | varying; which varies |
| 3 | Latin | variāns | diversifying; variegating |
| 4 | Latin | variō | to diversify, variegate, change, transform, make different or various, alter, vary, interchange |
| 5 | Latin | varius | diverse, different, various, variegated |
| 6 | Latin | vārus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wer- | to lift up; to moisten; to flow; to raise, hang |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |