refract etymology

Etymology:

The word "refract" comes from the Latin word "refringere," which means "to break" or "to bend." It is composed of the following parts:

  • Prefix "re-": meaning "back" or "again"
  • Root "frangere": meaning "to break"
  • Suffix "-ere": verb suffix

Meaning:

The word "refract" has two primary meanings:

  1. To bend or change the direction of light or other waves: When light or other waves pass from one medium (e.g., air) to another (e.g., water), they bend or refract at the boundary between the two mediums. This is because the speed of light changes as it enters the new medium.
  2. To resist or reject: To oppose or refuse to accept something or to prevent something from happening.

Origin:

The Latin word "refringere" is believed to have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bhreg-," which means "to break." This root is also found in other languages, such as Sanskrit ("bhrājati") meaning "to shine" and Greek ("phragnynai") meaning "to break."

In the 14th century, the word "refract" entered the English language from Old French, where it was used in both its optical and figurative senses.

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