Where does “obviate” come from?
Obviate comes from Latin obviare, derived from obvio, which combines via (way) from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- with a root meaning to strike or pierce.
obviate (English): To anticipate and prevent or bypass; To avoid
Definitions
- To anticipate and prevent or bypass; To avoid
Ancestry of “obviate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | obviātus | — |
| 2 | Latin | obvio | I resist, withstand; I prevent, hinder, obviate;... |
| 3 | Latin | obvius | in the way; meeting; affable, courteous |
| 4 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 5 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |