Where does “self-destruct” come from?
self-destruct (English) comes from English destruct, from English destruction, from Middle English destruccioun, from Old French destrucion, from Latin destructio, from Latin -tiō, from Latin dissertātiō, from Latin dissertus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
self-destruct (English): To destroy oneself
Definitions
- To destroy oneself
Ancestry of “self-destruct”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | destruct | To intentionally cause the destruction of; To... |
| 2 | English | destruction | The act of destroying; The results of a... |
| 3 | Middle English | destruccioun | Destruction; the act of destroying or being destroyed |
| 4 | Old French | destrucion | destruction |
| 5 | Latin | destructio | destruction, demolition; refutation |
| 6 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 7 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 8 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 9 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 10 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 11 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 12 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |