English
hyphen
Hyphen comes from Ancient Greek ῠ̔φέν ‘in one, as a single word’, from εἷς ‘one’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-‘one’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sḗm‘one’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hensreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἷςas ἕν‘one’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEῠ̔φένhŭphén‘in one, as a single word’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEhyphen
- Englishearliest quotation 1916same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-‘one’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sḗm‘one’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hensreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἷςas ἕν‘one’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEῠ̔φένhŭphén‘in one, as a single word’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEhyphen
- Englishearliest quotation 1916same form
Earliest quotation: 1916, The American Monthly - Volume 3: “Tab has been kept on quite a number of…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one’
some, same, single, similar, seem, simple, simply, soft, sam, simulation, sincerely, singular, resemble, assemble, resemblance, simultaneous, anomaly, simulate, sincerity, semblance, assimilate, anomalous, homeopathic, synapse, homology, insincere, simile, simulacrum, synchronise, homolog, 46 more
through Proto-Indo-European *sḗm ‘one’
Today it means
noun The symbol "‐", typically used to join two or more words to form a compound term, or to indicate that a word has been split at the end of a line.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sem- / hyphen