Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tessellation” come from?

Tessellation comes from English tessellate, from Latin tessera meaning a small square tile, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷetwóres meaning four.

tessellation (English): The property or fact of tessellating; A tiling...

Definitions

  1. The property or fact of tessellating; A tiling...

Ancestry of “tessellation”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-ionan action or process, or the result of an action...
2Ancient Greekἀπόγειονapogee, greatest distance from the Earth
3Ancient Greekἀπόfrom, away from; because of, as a result of
4Ancient GreekἭλιοςsun
5Ancient GreekτύποςA blow, pressing; The results of a blow: mark,...
6Ancient Greekτύπτωto beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself
7Proto-Indo-European(s)tewp-to push, to stick
8Proto-Indo-European(s)tew-to push, to hit
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- →