English
maxim
Maxim comes from Late Latin maxima ‘axiom’, from Latin maximus ‘biggest, largest’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s ‘great’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*méǵh₂s‘great’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisVmosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmaximus‘biggest, largest’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmaxima‘axiom’noun use of feminine singular form of maximus
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400maxime
- Englishearliest quotation 1776maxim
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*méǵh₂s‘great’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisVmosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmaximus‘biggest, largest’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmaxima‘axiom’noun use of feminine singular form of maximus
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400maxime
- Englishearliest quotation 1776maxim
Earliest quotation: 1776, Wealth of Nations: “In every age and country of the world men…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s ‘great’
major, master, mayor, magnitude, magnum, magnate, magnify, mair, mickle, maggiore, muckle, mahila, 16 more
Today it means
noun A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s / maxim