Etymograph

English

auto

Auto is a clipping of automatic, from New Latin automaticus, from Ancient Greek αὐτόματος ‘self-acting’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mn̥tósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mətósreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαὐτόματοςautómătos‘self-acting, spontaneous’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαὐτόματονautómăton‘automaton’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEautomatum‘automaton’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900automaticus‘automatic’
  8. English1500–presentautomatic
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2023auto

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mn̥tósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mətósreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαὐτόματοςautómătos‘self-acting, spontaneous’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαὐτόματονautómăton‘automaton’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEautomatum‘automaton’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900automaticus‘automatic’
  8. English1500–presentautomatic
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2023auto

Earliest quotation: 2023, Evelynn Kersting, GAMES AND TIME: “For the first eight years of the Tetris Championship…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’

money, music, mind, amount, comment, remain, mention, mountain, museum, permanent, monster, mouth, mount, min, monitor, monetary, demonstration, monk, mint, monument, maya, dementia, monte, imminent, monastery, amnesty, mentor, muse, mosaic, eminent, summon, menace, ming, prominence, mas, mandarin, mantra, mont, mania, muster, 125 more

through Proto-Indo-European *mn̥tós

mental, menton, 8 more

Another origin of auto

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-‘to move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoveō‘to move, stir, set in motion’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōbili
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentmobile
  7. French, derivedc. 1600–presentautomobile‘automotive’
  8. English1500–presentautomobile
  9. Englishtodayauto

Another origin of auto

  1. Spanishc. 1500–presentauto
  2. Englishtodayauto

Today it means

adj A setting for automatic operation.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / auto

Shirt and support for this word