English
atom
Atom comes from Latin atomus ‘smallest particle’, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος ‘indivisible’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- ‘to cut’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temh₁-‘to cut’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tm̥-né-h₁-tireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτέμνω‘to cut’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἄτομοςátomos‘indivisible’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEatomus‘smallest particle’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600athome
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500attome
- Englishearliest quotation 1835atom
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temh₁-‘to cut’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tm̥-né-h₁-tireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτέμνω‘to cut’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἄτομοςátomos‘indivisible’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEatomus‘smallest particle’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600athome
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500attome
- Englishearliest quotation 1835atom
Earliest quotation: 1835, John Ross, James Clark Ross: “Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°;…”
The story
Atoms are so named because they were historically thought up as to be the smallest unit of matter, and thus indivisible.
Linked words
pairs
- atom and anatomy both from Ancient Greek τέμνω ‘to cut’
through Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- ‘to cut’
contempt, templar, tempestuous, 35 more
through Ancient Greek τέμνω ‘to cut’
Today it means
noun The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- / atom