Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “adamant” come from?

Adamant comes from Middle English adamant, from Latin adamantem, from Ancient Greek ἀδάμας, formed from the prefix ἀ- and a root from Proto-Indo-European demh₂-.

adamant (English): Firm; unshakeable; unyielding; determined; Very...

Definitions

  1. Firm; unshakeable; unyielding; determined; Very...

Ancestry of “adamant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishadamantadamant, adamantine; An invulnerable or...
2Latinadamantemaccusative singular of adamās
3Ancient Greekἀδάμαςadamant, the hardest metal; a hard metal...
4Ancient Greekἀ-The alpha privativum, used to make words that...
5Proto-Hellenichə-same; together
6Proto-Indo-Europeansm̥-one; with, together
7Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one

Words derived from “adamant”

  • adamantly
  • adamantium
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sem- →