English
semantic
Semantic comes from Ancient Greek σημαντικός ‘significant, giving signs’, from σημαίνω ‘to indicate’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰyéh₂mn̥.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰyéh₂mn̥reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσῆμᾰ‘mark, sign, token’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσημαίνω‘to indicate’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσημαντικόςsēmantikós‘significant, giving signs’
- Englishearliest quotation 2005semantic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰyéh₂mn̥reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσῆμᾰ‘mark, sign, token’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσημαίνω‘to indicate’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσημαντικόςsēmantikós‘significant, giving signs’
- Englishearliest quotation 2005semantic
Earliest quotation: 2005, Friedrich Alexander Bischoff, Yinglin Wang: “Its semantic is polysyllabic, viz. it uses the word…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰyéh₂mn̥
Today it means
adj Of or relating to semantics or the meanings of words.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰyéh₂mn̥ / semantic