English
tectonic
Tectonic comes from Late Latin tectonicus, from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός ‘pertaining to building’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *teḱ- ‘to make’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*teḱ-‘to make’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτέκτωνtéktōn‘carpenter, joiner, maker’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτεκτονικόςtektonikós‘pertaining to building’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEtectonicus
- Englishearliest quotation 2010tectonic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*teḱ-‘to make’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτέκτωνtéktōn‘carpenter, joiner, maker’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτεκτονικόςtektonikós‘pertaining to building’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEtectonicus
- Englishearliest quotation 2010tectonic
Earliest quotation: 2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction): “A boiling hot rock planet with extreme tectonic activity,…”
Equivalent to τέκτων + -ic ‘pertaining to’
The story
In sense of geology, attested 1894.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *teḱ- ‘to make’
through Ancient Greek τέκτων ‘carpenter, joiner, maker’
Today it means
adj Of or relating to construction or to architecture.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *teḱ- / tectonic