Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “megabyte” come from?

megabyte (English) comes from English byte, from English bite, from Middle English biten, from Old English betēon, from Old English tēon, from Old English tēohan, from Proto-West Germanic teuhan, from Proto-Germanic teuhaną — to pull, to draw; to lead.

megabyte (English): One million bytes; 1,048,576 bytes; a mebibyte

Definitions

  1. One million bytes; 1,048,576 bytes; a mebibyte

Ancestry of “megabyte”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbyteA short sequence of bits that can be operated on...
2EnglishbiteTo cut into something by clamping the teeth; To...
3Middle Englishbitento bite
4Old Englishbetēonto cover, surround, enclose; to cover, surround,...
5Old Englishtēonto drag, draw, pull; to train, discipline; to...
6Old Englishtēohan—
7Proto-West Germanicteuhanto pull; to lead
8Proto-Germanicteuhanąto lead; to pull behind oneself, draw, drag
9Proto-Indo-Europeandewk-to pull, to draw; to lead

Words derived from “megabyte”

  • submegabyte
  • megabyte
  • megabyte
  • মেগাবাইট
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dewk- →