English
quantum
Quantum comes from Latin quantus ‘how much’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kʷéh₂onts.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷéh₂onts‘how much, how many’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷāntos‘how much, many’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquantus‘how much’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEquantumnoun use of neuter form of quantus
- Englishearliest quotation 1749quantum
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷéh₂onts‘how much, how many’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷāntos‘how much, many’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquantus‘how much’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEquantumnoun use of neuter form of quantus
- Englishearliest quotation 1749quantum
Earliest quotation: 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones: “The reader will perhaps be curious to know the…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *kʷéh₂onts
Today it means
noun The total amount of something; quantity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kʷéh₂onts / quantum