Where does “pontifex” come from?
pontifex (Latin) comes from Latin pōns, from Latin fractus, from Latin frangere, from Latin frangō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrēǵ- — to shine, shimmer.
pontifex (Latin): a high priest, State minister in ancient Rome; a...
Definitions
- a high priest, State minister in ancient Rome; a...
Ancestry of “pontifex”, step by step
pontifex traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin pōns
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | pōns | A bridge, a construction or natural feature that spans a divide |
| 2 | Latin | fractus | broken, shattered, having been broken;... |
| 3 | Latin | frangere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 4 | Latin | frangō | to break, shatter |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrēǵ- | to shine, shimmer |
via Proto-Italic pontifaks
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Italic | pontifaks | — |
| 2 | Proto-Italic | -faks | -maker, -producer |
via Latin facēre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | facēre | — |