Where does “temperament” come from?
Temperament comes from Middle French tempérament, derived from Latin temperamentum, meaning a mixing or blending in proper proportions.
temperament (English): A moderate and proportionable mixture of elements...
Definitions
- A moderate and proportionable mixture of elements...
Ancestry of “temperament”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | temperament | — |
| 2 | Middle French | tempérament | — |
| 3 | Latin | temperamentum | a mixture of things in proper proportion or measure |
| 4 | Latin | temperō | to divide duly, qualify, temper, moderate |
| 5 | Latin | tempus | time, period, age; season; kairos, right time,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tempos | stretch |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | temp- | to extend, stretch, span; to stetch, string; to... |