English
acme
Acme comes from Ancient Greek ἀκμή ‘point’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘point, sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*akmā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκμή‘point’
- Englishearliest quotation 1570acme
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘point, sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*akmā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκμή‘point’
- Englishearliest quotation 1570acme
Earliest quotation: 1570, Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster: “The Latin tong, euen whan it was, as the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘point, sharp’
hear, edge, egg, ear, acid, eager, hammer, axe, oxide, acute, vinegar, mediocre, paragon, mediocrity, acetate, acupuncture, hark, exacerbate, acacia, acuity, acumen, roselle, acrimony, exacerbation, acyl, acerbic, acrid, 72 more
through Ancient Greek ἀκμή ‘point’
Today it means
noun A high point: the highest point of any range, the most developed stage of any process, or the culmination of any field or historical period.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- / acme