Where does “binocle” come from?
binocle (Ido) comes from Russian бинокль, from French binocle, from Latin bi-, from Ancient Greek κύκλος, from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- — to turn.
Ancestry of “binocle”, step by step
binocle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Russian бинокль
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | бинокль | binoculars |
| 2 | French | binocle | pince-nez; lorgnette; spectacles, eyeglasses,... |
| 3 | Latin | bi- | having two parts; occurring twice |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κύκλος | circle, ring; Any circular object, such as a... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |
via Italian binocolo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | binocolo | binoculars; opera glasses; spyglass |