Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pivotal” come from?

Pivotal derives from English pivot, which comes from English aldehyde, ultimately from German Aldehyd.

pivotal (English): Of, relating to, or being a pivot; Being of...

Definitions

  1. Of, relating to, or being a pivot; Being of...

Ancestry of “pivotal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpivotA thing on which something turns; specifically a...
2Catalanpevet—
3Catalanpeufoot
4Old Occitanpefoot
5Latinpēdem—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpóds—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

Words derived from “pivotal”

  • pivotally
  • pivotality
  • pivotalness
  • nonpivotal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ped- →