English
parameter
Parameter comes from New Latin parametrum, from Ancient Greek μέτρον ‘measure’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₁-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμέτρονmétron‘measure’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900parametrum
- Frenchc. 1600–presentparamètre
- Englishearliest quotation 2007parameter
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₁-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμέτρονmétron‘measure’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900parametrum
- Frenchc. 1600–presentparamètre
- Englishearliest quotation 2007parameter
Earliest quotation: 2007, Charles M. Hansen, Hansen Solubility Parameters: “As molecular surface-to-surface contacts control both solution phenomena and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- ‘to measure’
month, moon, measure, meal, moral, sunny, dimensional, dimension, immense, moody, meta, geometric, mesa, menstrual, symmetric, mensa, commensurate, centimetre, firman, moodiness, menses, metis, mete, 61 more
through Ancient Greek μέτρον ‘measure’
Today it means
noun A value kept constant during an experiment, equation, calculation, or similar, but varied over other versions of the experiment, equation, calculation, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- / parameter