Where does “pentagon” come from?
Pentagon comes from Middle French pentagone, from Late Latin pentagonum, from Ancient Greek πεντάγωνος, ultimately derived from πέντε meaning five.
pentagon (English): A polygon with five sides and five angles; A fort...
Definitions
- A polygon with five sides and five angles; A fort...
Ancestry of “pentagon”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | pentagone | — |
| 2 | Late Latin | pentagonum | pentaphyllon |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πεντάγωνον | pentagon |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πεντάγωνος | five-angled |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | γωνία | corner, angle; joiner's square; cornerstone |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | γόνυ | knee |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | gónu | knee |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵónu | knee |