English
histogram
Histogram may come from Ancient Greek ἱστός ‘mast’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἱστόςhistós‘mast’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1983histogram
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἱστόςhistós‘mast’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1983histogram
Earliest quotation: 1983, Alan Meier, Janice Wright: “Such distinctions, however, require detailed information, such as histograms…”
The story
Probably from Ancient Greek ἱστός (histós, “mast”) + γράμμα (grámma), although it is sometimes claimed to have been derived from historical + diagram; coined in 1891 by English mathematician Karl Pearson.
Every English word from Ancient Greek ἱστός
Today it means
noun A graphical display of numerical data in the form of upright bars, with the area of each bar representing frequency.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἱστός / histogram