Etymograph

English

criterion

Criterion comes from Ancient Greek κριτήριον ‘a test, a means of judging’, from κριτής ‘judge’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *krey- ‘to sift, separate, divide’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krey-‘to sift, separate, divide’root as named
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρίνωkrínō‘to judge’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκριτήςkritḗs‘judge’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκριτήριονkritḗrion‘a test, a means of judging’
  5. New Latinc. 1500–1900criterion
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1834same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krey-‘to sift, separate, divide’root as named
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρίνωkrínō‘to judge’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκριτήςkritḗs‘judge’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκριτήριονkritḗrion‘a test, a means of judging’
  5. New Latinc. 1500–1900criterion
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1834same form

Earliest quotation: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “Knowledge has come to her too soon—knowledge of evil,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *krey- ‘to sift, separate, divide’

certain, secretary, secret, crime, criminal, discrimination, discretion, critique, discreet, riddle, discrete, criticize, discriminate, discern, hypocrite, endocrine, excrement, rime, excretion, incriminate, excrete, incrimination, ridder, certitude, recrimination, 47 more

through Ancient Greek κρίνω ‘to judge’

crisis, critic, 3 more

Today it means

noun A standard, test, or requirement by which individual things or people may be compared and judged; a gauge.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *krey- / criterion

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