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Where does the word "delineate" come from? It comes from Latin delineare, and was adopted directly into English (1550s).
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Where does the word "delineate" come from? It comes from Latin delineare, and was adopted directly into English (1550s).
Delineate’s story begins in Latin: delineare meant “to sketch out.” 'de-' plus 'linea', line. It reached English by 1550s as delineate. 'lineament' shares the root. Today, delineate means to describe precisely.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient delineare "to sketch out", 'de-' plus 'linea', line.
- Stage 2 · English · 1550s delineate "to sketch", 'lineament' shares the root.