Where does “instrument” come from?
Instrument comes from Middle English instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin instrumentum, a derivative of the Latin instrumental suffix -mentum formed from Proto-Indo-European -mn̥.
instrument (English): A device used to produce music; A means or agency...
Definitions
- A device used to produce music; A means or agency...
Ancestry of “instrument”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | instrument | A tool or device used for manipulation,... |
| 2 | Old French | instrument | — |
| 3 | Latin | īnstrūmentum | An instrument, tool, utensil |
| 4 | Latin | -mentum | instrument, medium, or result of; e.g.... |
| 5 | Latin | -menta | nominative plural of -mentum; accusative plural... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mn̥ | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs |