Where does “obsolete” come from?
Obsolete comes from Latin obsoletus, past participle of obsolesco meaning "to wear out," from ob- "against" plus obolus, a small coin from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷélHos meaning "pointed stick" or "weapon."
obsolete (English): No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or...
Definitions
- No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or...
Ancestry of “obsolete”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | obsoletus | old, worn out, thrown off; obsolete, out-of-date;... |
| 2 | Latin | obsolesco | I wear out; I fall into disuse; I grow old |
| 3 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 4 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |