English
macron
Macron comes from Ancient Greek μακρός ‘long’, from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós ‘lean, meager’, and ultimately from *meh₂ḱ- ‘to increase’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₂ḱ-‘to increase’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mh₂ḱrós‘lean, meager’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*makrósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμακρόςmakrós‘long’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμακρόνmakrónneuter form of μακρός
- Englishearliest quotation 1889macron
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₂ḱ-‘to increase’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mh₂ḱrós‘lean, meager’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*makrósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμακρόςmakrós‘long’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμακρόνmakrónneuter form of μακρός
- Englishearliest quotation 1889macron
Earliest quotation: 1889, Rebecca Smith Pollard, New York: “We say such words belong to a Long family,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ḱ- ‘to increase’
through Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós ‘lean, meager’
Today it means
noun A short, straight, horizontal diacritical mark (◌̄) placed over a letter, usually to indicate that the pronunciation of a vowel is long.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ḱ- / macron