Where does “meta-” come from?

meta- (English) comes from Ancient Greek μετά, from Proto-Indo-European meth₂, from Proto-Indo-European mé — in the middle of, near, by, around, with.

meta- (English): Behind; Later or subsequent; Situated between two...

Definitions

  1. Behind; Later or subsequent; Situated between two...

Ancestry of “meta-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekμετάin the midst of, among, between, with; in common,...
2Proto-Indo-Europeanmeth₂with
3Proto-Indo-Europeanméin the middle of, near, by, around, with

Words derived from “meta-”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mé →