English
eccentric
Eccentric comes from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος ‘not having the earth as the center of an orbit’, from κέντρον ‘something with a sharp point: point, spike, spur’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱéntrom.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱéntrom‘pointed tool’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kéntronreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκέντρονkéntron‘something with a sharp point: point, spike, spur’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔκκεντροςékkentros‘not having the earth as the center of an orbit’
- Medieval Latinmoderneccentricus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600excentrique
- Englishearliest quotation 1807eccentric
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱéntrom‘pointed tool’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kéntronreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκέντρονkéntron‘something with a sharp point: point, spike, spur’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔκκεντροςékkentros‘not having the earth as the center of an orbit’
- Medieval Latinmoderneccentricus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600excentrique
- Englishearliest quotation 1807eccentric
Earliest quotation: 1807, G. H. Wilson, The Eccentric Mirror: “Such is not the case with Mr. Martin Van…”
Linked words
through Proto-Hellenic *kéntron
through Ancient Greek κέντρον ‘something with a sharp point: point, spike, spur’
center, central, centre, kendra, alcantara, concentric, cento, centrum, 16 more
Today it means
adj Not at or in the centre; away from the centre.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱéntrom / eccentric