Etymograph

English

friction

Friction comes from Latin fricō ‘rub’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- ‘to cut’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreyH-‘to cut’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰriH-o-sreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*friosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfriō‘to crumble, rub, or break into pieces’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfricō‘rub’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrictiōas frictionem
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600friction
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1792same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreyH-‘to cut’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰriH-o-sreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*friosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfriō‘to crumble, rub, or break into pieces’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfricō‘rub’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrictiōas frictionem
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600friction
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1792same form

Earliest quotation: 1792, James Curry, Observations on Apparent Death from Drowning: “The frictions should at first be very gentle, and…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- ‘to cut’

fray, frivolous, frivolity, briny, 4 more

through Latin friō ‘to crumble, rub, or break into pieces’

friable, 3 more

through Latin fricō ‘rub’

frayed, fricative, 3 more

Today it means

noun The rubbing of one object or surface against another.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- / friction

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