Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “orthogonal” come from?

Orthogonal comes from French orthogonal, from Medieval Latin orthogonalis, from Latin orthogonius, from Ancient Greek ὀρθογώνιος meaning having a right angle.

orthogonal (English): Of two objects, at right angles; perpendicular to...

Definitions

  1. Of two objects, at right angles; perpendicular to...

Ancestry of “orthogonal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchorthogonal—
2Medieval Latinorthogonalisorthogonal
3Latinorthogoniusright-angled; rectangular; orthogonal
4Ancient Greekὀρθογώνιοςright-angled; rectangular
5Ancient Greekὀρθόςstraight, upright, erect; straight forward, in a...
6Proto-Hellenicortʰwós—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃r̥dʰwós—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃erdʰ-to increase, grow; upright, high
9Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “orthogonal”

  • orthogonality
  • orthogonally
  • nonorthogonal
  • orthogonalization
  • biorthogonal
  • nonorthogonality
  • orthogonalize
  • biorthogonality
  • reorthogonalization
  • semiorthogonal
  • biorthogonalization
  • reorthogonalize
  • bioorthogonal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wós →