English
dimensionless
Dimensionless comes from Latin dīmēnsiō ‘measuring (out)’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *meh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₁-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mētisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmētior‘to measure or estimate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīmētior‘to measure (out or off)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīmēnsiō‘measuring (out)’
- English1500–presentdimension
- Englishearliest quotation 1674dimensionless
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₁-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mētisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmētior‘to measure or estimate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīmētior‘to measure (out or off)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīmēnsiō‘measuring (out)’
- English1500–presentdimension
- Englishearliest quotation 1674dimensionless
Earliest quotation: 1674, John Milton, Book XI: “To Heav'n thir prayers / Flew up, nor miſsd…”
A compound of dimension + -less
Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- ‘to measure’
Proto-Italic *mētis
Latin mētior ‘to measure or estimate’
Latin dīmētior ‘to measure (out or off)’
Latin dīmēnsiō ‘measuring (out)’
English dimension
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- ‘to measure’
month, moon, moral, meal, sunny, meter, metric, moody, metre, meta, menstrual, asymmetry, madder, metrology, mete, metis, metra, firman, moodiness, menses, 64 more
through Proto-Italic *mētis
through Latin mētior ‘to measure or estimate’
Today it means
adj Lacking dimensions.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- / dimensionless