aphorism

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*werw-“to draw; to mark out”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂epó“away; off”
3. Ancient Greek · derived fromᾰ̓φορῐσμός“limitation; distinction, separation; definition; aphorism”
4. Medieval Latin · derived fromaphorismus
5. Middle French · derived fromaphorisme
6. Middle English · inherited fromamphorisme
7. English todayaphorism

The noun is derived from Late Middle English amphorisme, from Middle French aphorisme, afforisme (modern French aphorisme), from Medieval Latin aphorismus, aforismus, from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓φορῐσμός (ăphorĭsmós, “limitation; distinction, separation; definition; aphorism”), from ἀφορίζω (aphorízō, “to mark off a boundary; to define, determine; to distinguish, separate; etc.”) + -μός (-mós, suffix forming abstract nouns). Ἀφορίζω (Aphorízō) is from ᾰ̓πο- (ăpo-, prefix meaning ‘away; from; off’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away; off”)) + ὁρίζω (horízō, “to delimit; to define; to determine; to divide, separate; etc.”) (from ὅρος (hóros, “boundary, limit; definition, term; etc.”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *werw- (“to draw; to mark out”)) + -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō, “suffix forming similative verbs”)). The verb is derived from the noun.

Words from the same roots