English
fragment
Fragment comes from Latin fragmentum ‘a fragment, remnant’, from frangō ‘to break’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrangō‘to break’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfragmentum‘a fragment, remnant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fragment‘a small part or piece’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrangō‘to break’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfragmentum‘a fragment, remnant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fragment‘a small part or piece’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982same form
Earliest quotation: 1982, Pat Califa, Open Policy: “Samois includes celebate ^([sic]), heterosexual and bisexual women as…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- ‘to break’
break, broke, brigade, brake, bracket, fraction, bray, breech, suffrage, frail, brogan, brogue, 36 more
through Latin frangō ‘to break’
fracture, fragile, refrain, fret, infringe, diffraction, fractal, infraction, refractory, refraction, 16 more
Today it means
noun A part broken off; a small, detached portion; an imperfect part, either physically or not.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- / fragment