Saltation
/sælˈteɪ.ʃən/noun
A leap, jump, or rhythmic hopping movement; in biology, a sudden evolutionary change.
Did you know?Saltation comes from Latin saltatio, originally a ‘dance’ or ‘leaping,’ from saltare, a frequentative of salire, ‘to jump’—the same ancient root behind some surprisingly kinetic English words.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sel-
“to jump, leap”
Latin
Latin
salire
“to jump, leap”
Latin
Latin
saltare
“to dance, leap about”
Latin
Latin
saltatio
“a dance, leaping movement”
Late Middle English
English
saltacioun
“a leaping or dancing”
Modern English
English
saltation
“a leap, jump, or sudden transition”
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