Where does “diagonal” come from?
diagonal (Middle French) comes from Latin diagōnālis, from Ancient Greek διαγώνιος, from Ancient Greek δῐᾰ-, from Ancient Greek διά, from Proto-Indo-European dwís, from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ — two.
Ancestry of “diagonal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | diagōnālis | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | διαγώνιος | from angle to angle |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | δῐᾰ- | apart; through, across; through; in different... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | διά | throughout |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dwís | twice, doubly; in two |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |
Words derived from “diagonal”