Where does “different” come from?
different (Old French) comes from Latin differens, from Latin differo, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx, from Ancient Greek χάλιξ — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
Ancestry of “different”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | differens | spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating;... |
| 2 | Latin | differo | I carry different ways, spread, scatter,... |
| 3 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 4 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 5 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |