Where does “indifférence” come from?
indifférence (Middle French) comes from Latin indifferentia, from Latin indifferens, from Latin differēns, from Latin differre, from Latin differo, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
Ancestry of “indifférence”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | indifferentia | similarity, equivalence; nominative neuter plural... |
| 2 | Latin | indifferens | indifferent; neither good nor bad; unconcerned |
| 3 | Latin | differēns | spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating |
| 4 | Latin | differre | present active infinitive of differō |
| 5 | Latin | differo | I carry different ways, spread, scatter,... |
| 6 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 7 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 8 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |