Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “apostrophe” come from?

apostrophe (French) comes from Latin apostrŏphus, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστροφος, from Ancient Greek ἀποστρέφω, from Ancient Greek ἀπο-, from Ancient Greek ἀπό, from Ancient Greek Ἥλιος, from Ancient Greek τύπος, from Ancient Greek τύπτω — to push, to hit.

apostrophe (French): apostrophe; first/third-person singular present...

Definitions

  1. apostrophe; first/third-person singular present...

Ancestry of “apostrophe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinapostrŏphus—
2Ancient Greekἀπόστροφοςaccent of elision
3Ancient GreekἀποστρέφωI turn away
4Ancient Greekἀπο-Indicating movement: away, from, off; Indicating...
5Ancient Greekἀπόfrom, away from; because of, as a result of
6Ancient GreekἭλιοςsun
7Ancient GreekτύποςA blow, pressing; The results of a blow: mark,...
8Ancient Greekτύπτωto beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself
9Proto-Indo-European(s)tewp-to push, to stick
10Proto-Indo-European(s)tew-to push, to hit

Words derived from “apostrophe”

  • apostrophe
  • strop
  • apostrophize
  • apostrophise
  • apostrophic
  • apostrophically
  • apostropheless
  • apostrophectomy
  • апостроф
  • apostrophes
  • apostrophe
  • apostropher
  • アポストロフィー
  • apostrof
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- →