Etymograph

English

individuum

Individuum comes from Latin indīviduus ‘indivisible’, from dīviduus ‘divisible’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- ‘to separate, divide’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁weydʰh₁-‘to separate, divide’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wiðōreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*vidōreconstructed
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīvid(ō)
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīviduus‘divisible’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindīviduus‘indivisible’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindīviduumnoun use of neuter singular of indīviduus
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1603individuum

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁weydʰh₁-‘to separate, divide’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wiðōreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*vidōreconstructed
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīvid(ō)
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīviduus‘divisible’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindīviduus‘indivisible’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindīviduumnoun use of neuter singular of indīviduus
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1603individuum

Earliest quotation: 1603, Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes […]: “it seemeth unlikely, that God hath framed this peece…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- ‘to separate, divide’

wood, wide, widow, fid, 11 more

through Proto-Italic *wiðō

dividend, 7 more

through Latin *vidō

device, division, divide, devise, divisible, 8 more

Today it means

noun An indivisible entity.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- / individuum

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