Where does “subtraction” come from?
Subtraction comes from Late Latin subtractio, formed from Latin sub meaning "under" and traho meaning "to draw or pull," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
subtraction (English): The process of subtracting a number from another;...
Definitions
- The process of subtracting a number from another;...
Ancestry of “subtraction”, step by step
subtraction traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin subtractio
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | subtractio | withdrawing; subtraction |
| 2 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 3 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 4 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 5 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 6 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 7 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 8 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Late Latin subtractio
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | subtractio | withdrawing; subtraction |
| 2 | Latin | subtraho | I pull out from under; I remove, withdraw,... |
| 3 | Latin | traho | I drag, pull; I trail; I extract, withdraw |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | traɣō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tregʰ- | to drag, pull?; to run, walk |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰregʰ- | to run |