English
sensor
Sensor comes from Latin sentiō ‘to feel’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sent-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to feel’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sentiō‘to feel, to sense, to perceive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘to feel’
- Englishtodaysensor
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to feel’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sentiō‘to feel, to sense, to perceive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘to feel’
- Englishtodaysensor
Equivalent to sense + -or
Proto-Indo-European *sent- ‘to feel’
…
Latin sentiō ‘feel, perceive’
Latin sēnsus ‘sensation, feeling, meaning’
Old French sens ‘sense, perception, direction’
Middle English sense ‘meaning’
English sense
The story
Originated 1925–30, formed as a Latin loanword from sentiō (‘to feel’) + -tor (‘-er’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sent- ‘to feel’
through Proto-Italic *sentiō ‘to feel, to sense, to perceive’
senseless, antisense, insensible, 26 more
through Latin sentiō ‘to feel’
sense, sentence, sensitive, consent, sentiment, scent, consensus, sensible, sensation, resent, sensibility, sensual, sentient, assent, sensuous, sentience, sensu, 32 more
Today it means
noun A device or organ that detects certain external stimuli and responds in a distinctive manner.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sent- / sensor