aberration

The story

1. Latin · learned borrowing fromaberrātiō(n)“relief, diversion”
2. English todayaberration

A learned borrowing from Latin aberrātiō(n) (“relief, diversion”), first attested in 1594, from aberrō (“wander away, go astray”), from ab (“away”) + errō (“wander”). Compare French aberration. By surface analysis, aberrat(e) + -ion.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• Late 16ᵗʰ century. The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state.
• Mid 18ᵗʰ century. The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; a defect in a focusing mechanism that prevents the intended focal point.
• Mid 18ᵗʰ century. A small periodical change of the apparent positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer.
• Mid 18ᵗʰ century. The tendency of light rays to preferentially strike the leading face of a moving object (the effect underlying the above phenomenon).
• Early 19ᵗʰ century. A partial alienation of reason.
• Early 19ᵗʰ century. A mental disorder, especially one of a minor or temporary character.
• Mid 19ᵗʰ century. Atypical development or structure; deviation from the normal type; an aberrant organ.