Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oblique stroke” come from?

oblique stroke (English) comes from English oblique, from Middle French oblique, from Latin obliquus, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός, from Ancient Greek βέλος — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

oblique stroke (English): Synonym of slash ⟨/⟩

Definitions

  1. Synonym of slash ⟨/⟩

Ancestry of “oblique stroke”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishobliqueNot erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or...
2Middle Frenchoblique—
3Latinobliquussidelong, slanting, awry, oblique
4Latinob-towards; against
5Latinobolusobolus
6Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
7Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
8Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
9Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →