Where does “machine” come from?
Machine comes from Middle French machine, from Latin machina, from Ancient Greek μαχανά and μηχανή, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root megʰ-.
machine (English): A device that directs and controls energy, often...
Definitions
- A device that directs and controls energy, often...
Ancestry of “machine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | machine | machine; device |
| 2 | Latin | māchina | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μαχανά | Doric form of μηχᾰνή |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μηχανή | contrivance, machine, device, gear; way, means |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μῆχος | means, expedient, remedy |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | meǵʰ- | — |
Words derived from “machine”