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de·mar·ca·tion also de·mar·ka·tion

(dē′mär-kāshən)

1. The setting or marking of boundaries or limits.

2. A separation; a distinction: a line of demarcation between two rock strata.

[Spanish demarcación, from demarcar, to mark boundaries : de-, off (from Latin dē-; see DE-) + marcar, to mark (from Italian marcare, from Old Italian, of Germanic origin; see merg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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