Derivation
/ˌdɛrɪˈveɪʃən/noun
The process of forming or obtaining something from a source or origin.
Did you know?Its deepest ancestor is the same Indo-European root behind Latin *rivus* (“stream”), so the word began as a physical image of drawing water from a flowing source before becoming a term for language and logic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*rei-
“to flow, run”
Latin
Latin
derivare
“to draw off a stream; divert water”
Late Latin
Latin
derivatio
“a leading off, diversion; a drawing from a source”
Old French
Old French
derivation
“a diversion or drawing off; a linguistic derivation”
Middle English
English
derivacioun
“the act of deriving or tracing something from a source”
Modern English
English
derivation
“the process or result of deriving something from a source”