Where does “perpendicular” come from?
Perpendicular comes from Middle French perpendiculaire, from Old French perpendiculer, from Latin perpendiculum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to stretch or extend downward.
perpendicular (English): at or forming a right angle; Exactly upright;...
Definitions
- at or forming a right angle; Exactly upright;...
Ancestry of “perpendicular”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | perpendiculaire | — |
| 2 | Old French | perpendiculer | — |
| 3 | Latin | perpendiculum | plumbline, plummet |
| 4 | Latin | -culum | nominative neuter singular of -culus; accusative... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -klom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |