Where does “ecosystem” come from?
Ecosystem derives from English system and French eco-, ultimately from Ancient Greek σύστημα (systēma, "organized whole") and οἶκος (oikos, "house"), tracing through Proto-Indo-European roots sem- and steh₂- meaning "to stand together."
ecosystem (English): A system formed by an ecological community and...
Definitions
- A system formed by an ecological community and...
Ancestry of “ecosystem”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | system | A collection of organized things; a whole... |
| 2 | Late Latin | systema | harmony; musical scale; set of celestial objects;... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σύστημα | a whole made of several parts or members, system;... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -μᾰ | "suffix forming a noun denoting the result of an... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -mn̥ | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs |