Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “index” come from?

Index comes from Latin index, derived from Latin indico, built from Latin in and Latin in, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ne and Proto-Indo-European h₁én.

index (English): An alphabetical listing of items and their...

Definitions

  1. An alphabetical listing of items and their...

Ancestry of “index”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinindexA pointer, indicator; The index finger,...
2Latindīcō—
3Latin-tiō—
4Latindissertātiō—
5Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
6Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
8Latincalceusshoe
9Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
10Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “index”

  • indexing
  • indexical
  • inode
  • indexer
  • indexicality
  • indexable
  • subindex
  • indexically
  • kleenex
  • reindex
  • indexicalist
  • indexicalism
  • nonindexical
  • indexability
  • indexic
  • indexlike
  • superindex
  • coindex
  • indexless
  • autoindexing
  • unindexable
  • deindex
  • hyperindex
  • heat index
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →