Where does “optics” come from?
Optics derives from Medieval Latin opticus, from Ancient Greek ὀπτικός, relating to vision and derived from ὀπτός and ultimately ὀπτάω, connected to the Proto-Indo-European root wekʷ-, meaning to see.
optics (English): The physics of light and vision; The...
Definitions
- The physics of light and vision; The...
Ancestry of “optics”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | opticus | optic, optical; optic; of or relating to seeing,... |
| 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 |