Where does “different” come from?
different (Middle English) comes from Old French different, from Latin differens, from Latin differo, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx, from Ancient Greek χάλιξ — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
different (Middle English): different
Ancestry of “different”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | different | — |
| 2 | Latin | differens | spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating;... |
| 3 | Latin | differo | I carry different ways, spread, scatter,... |
| 4 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 5 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 6 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
Words derived from “different”