Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oscillating” come from?

Oscillating comes from Latin oscillatus, past participle of oscillare, which derives from oscillum, a small mask or charm hung in windows, ultimately from Ancient Greek ὀβελός meaning a pointed object or spit.

oscillating (English): Moving in a repeated back-and-forth motion;...

Definitions

  1. Moving in a repeated back-and-forth motion;...

Ancestry of “oscillating”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoscillateTo swing back and forth, especially if with a...
2Latinōscillātus—
3Latinōscillō—

Words derived from “oscillating”

  • nonoscillating
  • superoscillating
Every word from Latin ōscillō →