Etymograph

English

distinguo

Distinguo comes from Latin distinguō ‘to distinguish’, from stinguō ‘to put out, extinguish’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- ‘to push’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stengʷ-‘to push’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sténgʷeti‘to push, thrust’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*stengʷō‘to push’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstinguō‘to put out, extinguish’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistinguō‘to distinguish’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1948distinguo

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stengʷ-‘to push’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sténgʷeti‘to push, thrust’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*stengʷō‘to push’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstinguō‘to put out, extinguish’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistinguō‘to distinguish’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1948distinguo

Earliest quotation: 1948, CS Lewis: “We are told that the lady was silenced: yet…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- ‘to push’

stench, stink, 6 more

through Latin stinguō ‘to put out, extinguish’

extinction, instinct, extinct, 5 more

Today it means

noun A distinction.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- / distinguo

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