Where does “semicolon” come from?
Semicolon derives from English semi- combined with colon, ultimately tracing through Latin semi-, Ancient Greek κῶλον meaning limb or clause, and Proto-Indo-European kʷel- meaning to turn or move.
semicolon (English): The punctuation mark ";"
Definitions
- The punctuation mark ";"
Ancestry of “semicolon”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | colón | The currency of Costa Rica, divided into 100... |
| 2 | French | côlon | colon |
| 3 | French | colonel | A colonel, highest commissioned officer below... |
| 4 | Middle French | coronel | — |
| 5 | Italian | colonnello | colonel |
| 6 | Italian | -ello | Alterative suffix used to form... |
| 7 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 8 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |