Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ostension” come from?

ostension (English) comes from Middle French ostension, from Latin ostensio, from Latin ostendō, from Latin obs-, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

ostension (English): The act of presenting an ostensive definition; An...

Definitions

  1. The act of presenting an ostensive definition; An...

Ancestry of “ostension”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchostension—
2Latinostensiopresenting, showing, exhibiting
3Latinostendō—
4Latinobs-in front of
5Latinob-towards; against
6Latinobolusobolus
7Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
8Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
9Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →