English
fraction
Fraction comes from Medieval Latin fractio ‘a fragment, portion’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- ‘to break’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500fractio‘a fragment, portion’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fraccion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fraccioun‘a breaking’
- Englishearliest quotation 1563fraction
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500fractio‘a fragment, portion’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fraccion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fraccioun‘a breaking’
- Englishearliest quotation 1563fraction
Earliest quotation: 1563, John Foxe: “Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- ‘to break’
break, broken, broke, brigade, brake, fragile, bracket, refrain, fragment, bray, suffrage, fret, breech, frail, infringe, brogan, brogue, refractory, 40 more
Today it means
noun A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- / fraction