Where does “downtime” come from?
Downtime derives from English down and time, where down comes from Middle English doun, Old English dūn, Proto-Celtic dūnom, and Ancient Greek θέμα, ultimately from τίθημι meaning to place or put.
downtime (English): The amount of time lost due to forces beyond...
Definitions
- The amount of time lost due to forces beyond...
Ancestry of “downtime”, step by step
downtime traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Time
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Time | The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events |
| 2 | Middle English | tyme | thyme; time; A specific duration or period of... |
| 3 | Old French | thym | — |
| 4 | Latin | thymum | thyme; accusative singular of thymus |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | θύμον | thyme |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | θύω | I offer in sacrifice, slay, burn, immolate; I... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |