Where does “decibel” come from?
Decibel comes from English bel, from Latin decimus meaning tenth, derived from the Proto-Indo-European root déḱm̥ meaning ten.
decibel (English): A common measure of sound intensity ratio that is...
Definitions
- A common measure of sound intensity ratio that is...
Ancestry of “decibel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Bel | A Babylonian deity, corresponding to the Semitic Baal |
| 2 | English | Isabel | A place name |
| 3 | Spanish | Isabel | Elizabeth biblical character |
| 4 | Portuguese | Isabel | — |
| 5 | Old Occitan | Elisabel | — |
| 6 | Latin | Elisabeth | Elisabeth |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ἐλισάβετ | Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist |
| 8 | Hebrew | אלישבע | my God is an oath; the Lord is her oath |
| 9 | Hebrew | אֵל | a God; God, deity; god, God |
| 10 | Hebrew | שמואל | — |
| 11 | Hebrew | שְׁמוּאֵל | — |