English
elasticity
Elasticity comes from French élastique ‘elastic’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁elh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁l̥h₂-tósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐλᾰστόςelăstós
- New Latinmodernelasticus
- Frenchc. 1600–presentélastique‘elastic’
- English1500–presentelastic
- Englishearliest quotation 1912elasticity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁elh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁l̥h₂-tósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐλᾰστόςelăstós
- New Latinmodernelasticus
- Frenchc. 1600–presentélastique‘elastic’
- English1500–presentelastic
- Englishearliest quotation 1912elasticity
Earliest quotation: 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […]: “I'll have a try at it, Gladys, if you…”
A compound of elastic + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁l̥h₂-tós
Ancient Greek ἐλᾰστός
New Latin elasticus
French élastique
English elastic
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂-
Today it means
noun The property by virtue of which a material deformed under load can regain its original dimensions when unloaded
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂- / elasticity