Easy Etymology 2: Tetrahedron
What links a quarterback and a cathedral?
A tetrahedron
A tetrahedron is a triangular pyramid that has four sides.
The name means four-sided seat, tetra is Greek for four, and hedra is Greek for a seat. So, it literally means four seats.
The word tetra comes from an even more ancient word, Kwetwer-
This forms the root of the word quarter in the word quarterback.
At first glance, the word cathedral seems to have nothing in common here, but hedra sits in the middle.
The cathedra is the name for the bishop's seat, so the word is a metaphor for the bishop's "seat of power" and an actual chair in the building.
#protoindoeuropean #etymology #unclejegz