Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “duplex” come from?

duplex (Latin) comes from Latin plico, from Proto-Italic plekāō, from Proto-Indo-European pleḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European pel- — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.

duplex (Latin): twofold, double; bipartite, cloven; ambiguous

Definitions

  1. twofold, double; bipartite, cloven; ambiguous

Ancestry of “duplex”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinplicoI fold, bend or flex; I roll up; I arrive
2Proto-Italicplekāō—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpleḱ-to fold, plait, weave
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold

Words derived from “duplex”

  • duplicate
  • duplication
  • duplicated
  • duplex
  • duplicating
  • reduplication
  • duplicative
  • heteroduplex
  • endoreduplication
  • unduplicated
  • duplicator
  • deduplication
  • duplexer
  • conduplicate
  • nonduplication
  • homoduplex
  • semiduplex
  • subduplicate
  • duplexity
  • nonduplicate
  • deduplicate
  • nonduplicative
  • nonduplicated
  • duplicatable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →