English
monolith
Monolith comes from French monolithe ‘object made from a single block of stone’, from Ancient Greek μόνος ‘alone’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘little, small’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘little, small’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμονόλιθοςmonólithos‘made from a single block of stone’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmonolithus‘made from a single block of stone’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600monolythe‘made from a single block of stone’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmonolithe‘object made from a single block of stone’
- Englishearliest quotation 1856monolith
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘little, small’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμονόλιθοςmonólithos‘made from a single block of stone’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmonolithus‘made from a single block of stone’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600monolythe‘made from a single block of stone’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmonolithe‘object made from a single block of stone’
- Englishearliest quotation 1856monolith
Earliest quotation: 1856, Tenth Arrondissement. Western Portion.: “Tomb of Napoleon I. [...] Twelve colossal statues, by…”
Proto-Germanic *liþuz ‘limb’
Proto-West Germanic *liþu
Old English liþ ‘limb, member, joint, tip of finger, point’
Middle English lith
English lith
The story
The noun is borrowed from French monolithe (‘object made from a single block of stone’), from Middle French monolythe (‘made from a single block of stone’) (rare), and from their etymon Latin monolithus (‘made from a single block of stone’), from Ancient Greek μονόλιθος (monólithos, “made from a single block of stone”), from μονο- (mono-, prefix meaning ‘alone; single’) (from μόνος (mónos, “alone; only, unique”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (‘little, small’)) + λίθος (líthos, “a stone; stone as a substance”); analysable as mono- + -lith. The English word is cognate with German monolith (‘made from a single block of stone’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘little, small’
mean, community, met, minister, minute, common, commission, ministry, mess, communication, meal, min, minor, communist, menu, mutual, communicate, compromise, immune, missile, commit, mere, minus, dismiss, premise, communism, immunity, communal, ammunition, mural, mayhem, municipality, communion, commune, intermittent, ammo, noodle, mole, remuneration, moor, 79 more
through Ancient Greek μόνος ‘alone’
monk, monastery, munch, minster, monochromatic, monad, monism, 14 more
Today it means
noun A large, single block of stone which is a natural feature; or a block of stone or other similar material used in architecture and sculpture, especially one carved into a monument in ancient times.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / monolith