English
asymmetry
Asymmetry comes from Ancient Greek ἀσυμμετρία, from σῠ́μμετρος ‘symmetrical’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- ‘to measure’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₁-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμέτρον‘measure’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠ́μμετρος‘symmetrical’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμμετρῐ́ᾱ
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀσυμμετρίαasummetría
- Englishearliest quotation 1993asymmetry
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₁-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμέτρον‘measure’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠ́μμετρος‘symmetrical’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμμετρῐ́ᾱ
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀσυμμετρίαasummetría
- Englishearliest quotation 1993asymmetry
Earliest quotation: 1993, Joseph B. Hellige, Hemispheric Asymmetry: What's Right and What's Left: “Despite the generally symmetrical appearance of the two hemispheres,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- ‘to measure’
month, moon, moral, measure, meal, sunny, dimensional, dimension, moody, immense, meta, mesa, parameter, geometric, menstrual, commensurate, mensa, centimetre, firman, moodiness, menses, mete, metis, 60 more
through Ancient Greek μέτρον ‘measure’
meter, metric, metre, madder, metrology, metra, 43 more
through Ancient Greek σῠ́μμετρος ‘symmetrical’
Today it means
noun An absence of symmetry or proportion between the parts of a thing, or a distinction that produces such a lack of symmetry.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- / asymmetry