parallel evolution - 10/04/01 10:39 AM
Dear Experts,
Starting from the fact that German has only one word, Entwicklung, for the two english terms, evolution and development, I wonder if these two words might possibly have a common root. The dictionaries trace back evolution to latin evolvere ("roll out"), but development only as far as Old French (en-)volopper. But you notice that both contain the root "- vol- " (also present e.g. in volute). This has me speculate that both words originate from the unrolling .. of a script roll??
Starting from the fact that German has only one word, Entwicklung, for the two english terms, evolution and development, I wonder if these two words might possibly have a common root. The dictionaries trace back evolution to latin evolvere ("roll out"), but development only as far as Old French (en-)volopper. But you notice that both contain the root "- vol- " (also present e.g. in volute). This has me speculate that both words originate from the unrolling .. of a script roll??