Where does “balance” come from?
balance (Old French) comes from Late Latin bilancia, from Latin bilanx, from Latin bi-, from Ancient Greek κύκλος, from Proto-Indo-European kʷékʷlos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- — to turn.
balance (Old French): scales (weighing scales)
Definitions
- scales (weighing scales)
Ancestry of “balance”, step by step
balance traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Late Latin bilancia
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | bilancia | — |
| 2 | Latin | bilanx | having two scales; a balance with two scalepans |
| 3 | Latin | bi- | having two parts; occurring twice |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κύκλος | circle, ring; Any circular object, such as a... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷékʷlos | wheel; circle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |
via Vulgar Latin bilancia
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vulgar Latin | bilancia | nominative neuter plural of bilanx; accusative... |