Where does “optic” come from?
Optic comes from Middle French optique, from Medieval Latin opticus, from Ancient Greek ὀπτικός, derived from ὀπτός, the adjective form of ὀπτάω meaning to see, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ-.
optic (English): Of, or relating to the eye or to vision; Of, or...
Definitions
- Of, or relating to the eye or to vision; Of, or...
Ancestry of “optic”, step by step
optic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French optique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | optique | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ὀπτικός | of or relating to seeing, sight or vision: optic,... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ὄψις | view |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ὄψ | voice; word; eye, face |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | wókʷs | voice |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wekʷ- | to speak, to sound out |
via Medieval Latin opticus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | opticus | optic, optical; optic; of or relating to seeing,... |