English
elliptical
Elliptical comes from Ancient Greek ἐλλειπτικός ‘defective’, from ἐλλείπω ‘I leave out, omit’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leykʷ-‘to leave behind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλείπω‘to leave’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐλλείπωelleípō‘I leave out, omit’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐλλειπτικόςelleiptikós‘defective’
- Englishearliest quotation 1876elliptical
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leykʷ-‘to leave behind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλείπω‘to leave’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐλλείπωelleípō‘I leave out, omit’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐλλειπτικόςelleiptikós‘defective’
- Englishearliest quotation 1876elliptical
Earliest quotation: 1876, Chapter XIX: “Having admitted that the projectile was describing an orbit…”
Formed from elliptic + -al
Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- ‘to leave behind’
Ancient Greek λείπω ‘to leave’
Ancient Greek ἐλλείπω ‘I leave out, omit’
Ancient Greek ἐλλειπτικός ‘defective’
English elliptic
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- ‘to leave behind’
loan, lend, delinquent, relinquish, relic, delinquency, 15 more
through Ancient Greek λείπω ‘to leave’
Today it means
adj In a shape of, or reminding of, an ellipse; oval.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- / elliptical