Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “discrete” come from?

discrete (Middle English) comes from Old French discret, from Latin discrētus, from Latin discernō, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx, from Ancient Greek χάλιξ — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

Ancestry of “discrete”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchdiscretdifferent
2Latindiscrētus—
3Latindiscernō—
4Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
5Latincalceusshoe
6Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
7Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “discrete”

  • discreet
  • discreetly
  • indiscreet
  • indiscreetly
  • indiscrete
  • discreetness
  • indiscreetness
  • undiscreet
  • ultradiscreet
  • undiscreetness
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →