English
symbol
Symbol comes from Latin symbolum ‘symbol, token’, from Ancient Greek σύμβολον ‘a sign by which one infers something’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to throw, reach, pierce’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to throw, reach, pierce’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωbállō‘to throw, cast, hurl’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμβάλλωsŭmbállō
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσύμβολονsúmbolon‘a sign by which one infers something’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsymbolum‘symbol, token’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsymbole
- Englishearliest quotation 1651–1653symbol
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to throw, reach, pierce’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωbállō‘to throw, cast, hurl’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμβάλλωsŭmbállō
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσύμβολονsúmbolon‘a sign by which one infers something’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsymbolum‘symbol, token’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsymbole
- Englishearliest quotation 1651–1653symbol
Earliest quotation: 1651–1653, Jeremy Taylor, London: […] Richard Royston […]: “They do their work in the days of peace…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to throw, reach, pierce’
ball, quail, quill, quell, obelisk, pul, 66 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw, cast, hurl’
problem, devil, emblem, metabolic, parable, hyperbolic, parabolic, anabolic, embolism, metabolize, hyperbola, 34 more
Today it means
noun A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- / symbol