Where does “refraction” come from?
Refraction comes from Latin refractio, the noun form of refractus, past participle of refringere, meaning to break back, from re- and fringere, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰreg-.
refraction (English): The turning or bending of any wave, such as a...
Definitions
- The turning or bending of any wave, such as a...
Ancestry of “refraction”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | refractio | refraction |
| 2 | Latin | refringo | I break up or open; I refract |
| 3 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 4 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 5 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |