Where does “moiré pattern” come from?

moiré pattern (English) comes from English pattern, from English patten, from English paterne, from Middle English patron, from Old French patron, from Latin patrōnus, from Latin pater, from Proto-Italic patēr — to protect; to shepherd.

moiré pattern (English): an optical effect formed when one family of curves is superposed on another, the lines of the overlapping figures crossing at an angle less than about 45°; the moiré lines are then the locus of the points of intersection

Definitions

  1. an optical effect formed when one family of curves is superposed on another, the lines of the overlapping figures crossing at an angle less than about 45°; the moiré lines are then the locus of the points of intersection

Ancestry of “moiré pattern”, step by step

moiré pattern traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pattern

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpatternModel, example; A design, motif or decoration,...
2EnglishpattenAny of various types of footwear with thick...
3Englishpaterne
4Middle EnglishpatronAlternative form of patroun; patron; example
5Old Frenchpatronmodel; patron, protector
6Latinpatrōnusa protector, patron
7Latinpaterfather; head of household; parent
8Proto-Italicpatērfather
9Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂tḗrfather
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

via English moiré

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmoiréA pattern that emerges when two grids are...
2Frenchmoirémoiré, watered; shimmering; moiré, watered...
3Frenchpast participle root verb suffix of regular -er...
4Middle Frenchpast participle root verb suffix of regular; -ed, -en, -n
5Old Frenchused to form past participles of regular -er...
6Latin-asuffixed to the roots of verbs, forms agent...
7Proto-ItalicForms masculine agent nouns from prefixed or compounded bases
8Proto-Indo-European-éh₂
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂-