tangent

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*teh₂g-
2. Proto-Italic*tangō
3. Latintangō
4. Latintangēns
5. Latintangentem
6. English todaytangent

Borrowed from Latin tangentem, the accusative of tangēns (“touching”) (in the phrase līnea tangēns (“a touching line”)), the present participle of the verb tangō (“touch”, verb), from Proto-Italic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- (“to touch”). Cognate with Old English þaccian (“to touch lightly, pat, stroke”). More at thack, thwack.

Words from the same roots