English
triangulation
Triangulation comes from Medieval Latin triangulus ‘to triangulate’, from Latin angulus ‘an angle’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eng- ‘curve, bend’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eng-‘curve, bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂engulosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*angulosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEangulus‘an angle’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500triangulusas triangulō‘to triangulate’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500triangulātiō
- Englishearliest quotation 1839triangulation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eng-‘curve, bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂engulosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*angulosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEangulus‘an angle’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500triangulusas triangulō‘to triangulate’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500triangulātiō
- Englishearliest quotation 1839triangulation
Earliest quotation: 1839, T. B. Jervis, London: Printed by Moyes and Barclay: “The season of 1835–36 was employed in carrying on…”
Equivalent to triangulate + ion
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- ‘to go’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti ‘to go, to be going’
Proto-Hellenic *éimi ‘to go’
Ancient Greek εἶμι ‘I go’
Ancient Greek ἰόν ‘going’
English ion
The story
Triangulō is derived from triangulus (‘triangular; triangle’), from trēs (‘three’) + angulus (‘angle; corner’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eng- ‘curve, bend’
through Latin angulus ‘an angle’
Today it means
noun A technique in which distances and directions are estimated from an accurately measured baseline and the principles of trigonometry; (countable) an instance of the use of this technique.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eng- / triangulation