Where does “pentaflake” come from?

pentaflake (English) comes from English flake, from Middle English flake, from Old Norse flak, from Proto-Germanic flaką, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₂- — flat.

pentaflake (English): A fractal formed by arranging clusters of pentagons around a central pentagon

Definitions

  1. A fractal formed by arranging clusters of pentagons around a central pentagon

Ancestry of “pentaflake”, step by step

pentaflake traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English flake

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflakeA loose filmy mass or a thin chiplike layer of...
2Middle Englishflakea flake of snow
3Old Norseflakloose or torn piece
4Proto-Germanicflakąsomething flat
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₂-flat

via English penta

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishpenta
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₂-