Where does “magnetism” come from?
Magnetism derives from English magnet, from Ancient Greek μαγνήτης λίθος meaning "stone from Magnesia," combined with the Ancient Greek suffix -μός and further extended by -ισμός to form the abstract noun.
magnetism (English): The property of being magnetic; The science which...
Definitions
- The property of being magnetic; The science which...
Ancestry of “magnetism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | magnet | A piece of material that attracts some metals by... |
| 2 | Middle English | magnete | lodestone |
| 3 | Old French | magnete | magnetite |
| 4 | Latin | magnētum | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μαγνῆτις | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Μαγνησία | Magnesia |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
Words derived from “magnetism”