Where does “terminate” come from?
Terminate comes from Latin terminatus, past participle of terminō, derived from terminus meaning boundary or limit, from the Proto-Indo-European root ter- meaning to cross or pass through.
terminate (English): To end, especially in an incomplete state; To set...
Definitions
- To end, especially in an incomplete state; To set...
Ancestry of “terminate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | terminatus | marked off (by boundaries), bounded, limited |
| 2 | Latin | termino | to mark off by boundaries, set bounds to; bound, limit |
| 3 | Latin | terminus | a boundary, limit, end |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ter- | tender, weak; young creature |
| 5 | Italian | termine | end, close; limit, term, date, time; term, word |