Where does “midpoint” come from?
Midpoint derives from Middle English midpoint, composed of mid- and point, where point comes from Old French point (small mark or dot) and Latin punctum (past participle of pungere, to prick or pierce).
midpoint (English): A point equidistant between two extremes; A point...
Definitions
- A point equidistant between two extremes; A point...
Ancestry of “midpoint”, step by step
midpoint traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English MID
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | MID | Initialism of mobile information device |
| 2 | English | mid-range | Of a central or halfway point |
| 3 | English | range | A line or series of mountains, buildings, etc; A... |
| 4 | Middle English | rengen | — |
| 5 | Old French | rengier | to line up; to form ranks |
| 6 | Old French | reng | place; position |
| 7 | Latin | rencus | row; order, rank |
| 8 | Gaulish | rekos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | reketi | to arrange |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (H)rek- | to set in order |
via English point
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | point | A discrete division of something; A sharp... |
| 2 | Middle English | point | — |
| 3 | Old French | point | a sting; a prick; moment; time; dot |
| 4 | Latin | pūnctum | point |
| 5 | Latin | punctus | pricked, punctured, pierced, having been pricked;... |
| 6 | Latin | -tus | Forms the past participle of verbs; Forms... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -tus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tus | Derives action nouns from verb roots |