English
indicator
Indicator comes from Late Latin indicātor ‘one who points out’, from Latin dīcō ‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to point out, to show’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to point out, to show’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show, indicate’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindex‘a pointer, indicator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindicō‘point out’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEindicātor‘one who points out’
- Englishearliest quotation 1954indicator
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to point out, to show’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show, indicate’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindex‘a pointer, indicator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindicō‘point out’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEindicātor‘one who points out’
- Englishearliest quotation 1954indicator
Earliest quotation: 1954, Train Arrival Indicators at Euston: “The visual indicators are a decided improvement, and have…”
Equivalent to indicate + -or
Latin dicō ‘to declare, (originally) to point’
Latin indicō ‘to point out, indicate’
Latin indicātus ‘indicated, pointed out’
English indicate
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to point out, to show’
teach, toe, token, digit, paradigm, syndicate, tache, syndicalism, 45 more
through Proto-Italic *deikō ‘to show, indicate’
contradictory, interdiction, 18 more
through Latin dīcō ‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’
dictionary, predict, preach, dedication, addict, contradiction, contradict, dictate, ditto, predicament, dedicate, dictator, ditty, diction, predicate, dictum, interdict, dict, 25 more
through Latin index ‘a pointer, indicator’
through Latin indicō ‘point out’
Today it means
noun A pointer or index that indicates something.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- / indicator