Where does “contrebalancer” come from?
contrebalancer (French) comes from French balancer, from French balancé, from Middle French balance, from Old French balance, from Late Latin bilancia, from Latin bilanx, from Latin bi-, from Ancient Greek κύκλος — to turn.
contrebalancer (French): to counterbalance
Definitions
- to counterbalance
Ancestry of “contrebalancer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | balancer | to swing to do a reciprocating movement |
| 2 | French | balancé | past participle of balancer |
| 3 | Middle French | balance | scales |
| 4 | Old French | balance | scales (weighing scales) |
| 5 | Late Latin | bilancia | — |
| 6 | Latin | bilanx | having two scales; a balance with two scalepans |
| 7 | Latin | bi- | having two parts; occurring twice |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | κύκλος | circle, ring; Any circular object, such as a... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |