English
monument
Monument comes from Latin monumentum ‘memorial, monument, tomb’, from moneō ‘to remind’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyeti‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*man-eje-reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*moneō‘to remind, warn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoneōas monēre‘to remind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmonumentum‘memorial, monument, tomb’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400monument
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500monument
- Englishearliest quotation 1896monument
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyeti‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*man-eje-reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*moneō‘to remind, warn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoneōas monēre‘to remind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmonumentum‘memorial, monument, tomb’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400monument
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500monument
- Englishearliest quotation 1896monument
Earliest quotation: 1896, e Brachet, Paget Toynbee: “This linguistic fragment, rough as it may appear, is…”
The story
Partially displaced Old English bēacn.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’
music, mind, money, remain, amount, mouth, museum, auto, min, mountain, comment, permanent, mental, mount, mention, maya, monetary, mint, amnesty, muse, ming, mas, mandarin, monk, mania, prominence, mosaic, amnesia, mentor, monastery, imminent, manic, mantra, dementia, eminent, menace, remnant, eminence, monte, mun, 116 more
through Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti ‘to cause to think, make think’
through Proto-Italic *moneō ‘to remind, warn’
monster, demonstration, monstrous, monstrosity, demonstrative, 14 more
through Latin moneō ‘to remind’
Today it means
noun A structure built for commemorative or symbolic reasons, or as a memorial; a commemoration.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / monument