Where does “platitude” come from?
Platitude derives from French platitude, formed from French plat meaning "flat" plus the Latin suffix -tudo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pléth₂us meaning "broad" or "flat."
platitude (English): An often-quoted saying that is supposed to be...
Definitions
- An often-quoted saying that is supposed to be...
Ancestry of “platitude”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | platitude | flatness; blandness; lack of originality |
| 2 | French | plat | flat; a flat area of ground; a flat thing; a flat... |
| 3 | Middle French | plat | — |
| 4 | Old French | plat | a footbridge |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | plattus | flattened; flat; smooth |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πλατύς | wide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pléth₂us | flat, broad |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pleth₂- | flat |
Words derived from “platitude”