English
differentness
Differentness comes from Latin differēns ‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’, from ferō ‘to bear’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ferō‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferō‘to bear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferō‘to carry different ways, spread, scatter, disperse, separate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferēns‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400different
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 1985differentness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ferō‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferō‘to bear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferō‘to carry different ways, spread, scatter, disperse, separate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferēns‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400different
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 1985differentness
Earliest quotation: 1985, Gordon Gottlieb, CIA-Baiting a Liberal Closet Queen: “Only recently […] have biographies incorporated an analysis of…”
A compound of different + -ness
Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear’
…
Latin differō ‘to differ’
Latin differēns ‘spreading’
Old French different
Middle English different
English different
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’
bar, birth, broad, bread, bearing, fortune, prefer, burden, barrel, barn, fury, baron, bark, bore, breeze, broom, barrow, embargo, berth, fret, ferret, furtive, insufferable, bahar, bier, birr, bairn, burnish, barrette, proffer, 116 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti ‘to be carrying’
bear, borne, phosphate, phosphorus, euphoria, dysphoria, semaphore, phosphine, 94 more
through Proto-Italic *ferō ‘to carry, bear’
suffering, infertility, infertile, 70 more
through Latin ferō ‘to bear’
offer, transfer, translation, relative, extraordinary, reference, relation, relate, suffer, frustration, translate, strangely, fertility, referendum, referee, fertile, extravagant, frustrate, elated, confer, infra, infer, fertilization, ablation, elation, extraneous, collation, deference, collate, fertilize, ablative, strangeness, oblate, estrange, deferential, efferent, 73 more
through Latin differō ‘to carry different ways, spread, scatter,…’
defer, differentiation, dilate, indifferently, 40 more
through Latin differēns ‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’
indifferent, differentially, differentiable, differentiator, 38 more
Today it means
noun The state or quality of being different.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / differentness