obelus

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromὀβελοί
2. Late Latin · derived fromobeli
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʷelH-“to pierce; to reach; to throw; to hit by throwing”
4. Ancient Greek · derived fromὀβελός“rod, spit; obelisk; critical mark”
5. Koine Greek · derived fromὀβελός“critical mark”
6. Late Latin · derived fromobelus“critical mark”
7. Old English · inherited fromobelus
8. Middle English · inherited fromobelus
9. English todayobelus

From Middle English obelus, obelo, from Old English obelus, from Late Latin obelus (“critical mark”), from Koine Greek ὀβελός (obelós, “critical mark”), Ancient Greek ὀβελός (obelós, “rod, spit; obelisk; critical mark”). The further etymology is uncertain; a derivation from βέλος (bélos, “arrow, dart, missile”) (from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to pierce; to reach; to throw; to hit by throwing”)) has been suggested, but the initial vowel remains unexplained. Compare obelisk. The plural form obeli is derived from Late Latin obeli, from Ancient Greek ὀβελοί (obeloí).

Words from the same roots