Where does “electromagnetic” come from?
Electromagnetic derives from English magnet combined with the adjective-forming suffix -ic, ultimately from Ancient Greek magnḗtēs líthos, meaning "stone from Magnesia," a region in Thessaly.
electromagnetic (English): Relating to electromagnetism
Definitions
- Relating to electromagnetism
Ancestry of “electromagnetic”, step by step
electromagnetic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English magnetic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | magnetic | Of, relating to, operating by, or caused by... |
| 2 | English | -ic | Used to form adjectives from nouns with the... |
| 3 | English | image | An optical or other representation of a real... |
| 4 | French | image | picture, image; frame; first-person singular... |
| 5 | Portuguese | imagem | image; picture; figure; image; image; face |
| 6 | Spanish | imagen | image |
| 7 | Italian | immagine | image; imago |
| 8 | Latin | imāginem | — |
| 9 | Latin | im- | Alternative form of in-; form of "in"; in |
| 10 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 11 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 12 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 13 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
via English electromagnet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | electromagnet | A magnet which attracts metals only when... |
| 2 | English | electro- | electricity or electrical; electronic and/or... |
| 3 | Latin | ēlectrum | amber |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἤλεκτρον | amber; alloy of gold and silver, electrum |