tectonic

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*teḱ-“to make”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromτέκτων“carpenter, joiner, maker”
3. Ancient Greek · derived fromτεκτονικός“pertaining to building”
4. Late Latin · derived fromtectonicus
5. English todaytectonic

1650s, in sense of building, from Late Latin tectonicus, from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός (tektonikós, “pertaining to building”), from Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn, “carpenter, joiner, maker”), from Proto-Indo-European *teḱ- (“to make”) (from which also texture). In sense of geology, attested 1894. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn) + -ic (“pertaining to”).

Words from the same roots