Etymograph

English

binomial

Binomial comes from Late Latin binōmium.

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEbinōmium
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1991binomial

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEbinōmium
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1991binomial

Earliest quotation: 1991, D. J. Nokes, Vaccine safety versus vaccine efficacy in mass immunisation : “Assuming a normal approximation to binomial probabilities the proportion…”

Equivalent to bi- + -nomial

Proto-Indo-European *dwi- ‘two’

Proto-Italic *dwi- ‘two, bi-, di-’

English bi-

The story

Formed from Late Latin binōmium + -al. The derivation of binōmium is unclear.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. It was used by Gerard of Cremona in the 12th century. Suggested sources are the Latin nōmen (‘name’), the Ancient Greek νομός (nomós, “distribution, pasture”), or the Old French nom (‘name’).

Every English word from Late Latin binōmium

Today it means

adj Consisting of two terms, or parts.

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

Etymograph / Late Latin binōmium / binomial

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