Where does “electromagnet” come from?
Electromagnet derives from English electro- (from Latin electrum, from Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον amber) combined with magnet (from Ancient Greek μαγνήτης λίθος, lodestone).
electromagnet (English): A magnet which attracts metals only when...
Definitions
- A magnet which attracts metals only when...
Ancestry of “electromagnet”, step by step
electromagnet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English magnet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | magnet | A piece of material that attracts some metals by... |
| 2 | Middle English | magnete | lodestone |
| 3 | Old French | magnete | magnetite |
| 4 | Latin | magnētum | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μαγνῆτις | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Μαγνησία | Magnesia |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
via German Elektromagnet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Elektromagnet | electromagnet |
| 2 | German | elektro- | electro- |