English
emblem
Emblem comes from Latin emblēma ‘raised ornaments on vessels, tessellated work,…’, from Ancient Greek ἔμβλημα ‘an insertion’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω‘to throw’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐμβάλλωembálleinas ἐμβάλλειν‘to put in, to lay on’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔμβλημαémblēma‘an insertion’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemblēma‘raised ornaments on vessels, tessellated work, mosaic’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400embleme
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1604–1605emblem
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω‘to throw’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐμβάλλωembálleinas ἐμβάλλειν‘to put in, to lay on’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔμβλημαémblēma‘an insertion’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemblēma‘raised ornaments on vessels, tessellated work, mosaic’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400embleme
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1604–1605emblem
Earliest quotation: c. 1604–1605, William Shakespeare, All’s Well, that Ends Well: “His ſicatrice, with an Embleme of warre, heere on…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’
ball, quail, quill, quell, obelisk, pul, 64 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
symbolic, ballistic, ballista, symbolist, 35 more
through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw’
problem, devil, symbol, metabolic, hyperbolic, parabolic, anabolic, parable, metabolize, hyperbola, 34 more
through Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω ‘to put in, to lay on’
Today it means
noun A representative symbol, such as a trademark, a badge or logo.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- / emblem