Where does “internet” come from?
Internet derives from English internetwork and English network, ultimately tracing through Latin inter and Latin volvere to Proto-Indo-European roots wel- and wer-.
internet (English): Any set of computer networks that communicate...
Definitions
- Any set of computer networks that communicate...
Ancestry of “internet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | internetwork | A network of networks; To set up as a network of... |
| 2 | English | network | A fabric or structure of fibrous elements... |
| 3 | English | Net | the Internet |
| 4 | Middle English | net | worthy, good, pure, fine, elegant |
| 5 | Anglo-Norman | neit | good, desireable, clean |
| 6 | Old French | net | neat, decent |
| 7 | Vulgar Latin | nittus | — |
| 8 | Latin | nitidus | shining, polished, glittering; handsome,... |
| 9 | Latin | nitere | second-person singular future active indicative... |
| 10 | Latin | niteo | I am radiant, shine, look bright, glitter,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ney- | to shine; to be aroused, shine; to be excited |
| 12 | Cebuano | -hi | — |