Where does “tritangent” come from?

tritangent (English) comes from English tangent, from Latin tangentem, from Latin tangens, from Latin tangō, from Proto-Italic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European denḱ- — to bite.

tritangent (English): A line that is tangent to a curve at three points

Definitions

  1. A line that is tangent to a curve at three points

Ancestry of “tritangent”, step by step

tritangent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English tangent

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtangentA straight line touching a curve at a single...
2Latintangentemaccusative masculine singular of tangēns;...
3Latintangenstouching, grasping; reaching, arriving at;...
4Latintangōto touch, grasp
5Proto-Italic*tangō—
6Proto-Indo-Europeandenḱ-to bite

via English tri

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishtritriathlon; triangle
2Proto-Indo-Europeantréyesthree
Every word from Proto-Indo-European denḱ- →