Where does “odds” come from?
odds (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from English odds, from English odd, from Middle English odde, from Old Norse oddi, from Old Norse -i, from Latin -ē, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
odds (Norwegian Nynorsk): odds
Ancestry of “odds”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | odds | The ratio of the probability of an event... |
| 2 | English | odd | Differing from what is usual, ordinary or... |
| 3 | Middle English | odde | inflection of od:
## weak singular
## strong/weak... |
| 4 | Old Norse | oddi | odd, third or additional number; triangle |
| 5 | Old Norse | -i | — |
| 6 | Latin | -ē | — |
| 7 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 8 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 9 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |