Where does “sphere” come from?
Sphere comes from Middle English spere, from Old English spere, from Latin sphaera, from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα, ultimately derived from the Greek verb σπαίρω meaning to twist or turn.
sphere (English): A regular three-dimensional object in which every...
Definitions
- A regular three-dimensional object in which every...
Ancestry of “sphere”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spere | A spear or lance; The Lance of Longinus; A barb... |
| 2 | Old French | sphere | sphere shape |
| 3 | Latin | sphēra | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σφαῖρα | ball, globe, sphere |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ειδής | like, connected to, from the nature of, full of;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ής | adjective suffix |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |