Where does “metadata” come from?
Metadata comes from English metaphysics and metamorphosis, blending English data with Latin dare meaning to give and Ancient Greek μορφή meaning form.
metadata (English): Data that describes other data, serving as an...
Definitions
- Data that describes other data, serving as an...
Ancestry of “metadata”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | data | plural of datum; Information, especially in a... |
| 2 | Latin | datum | gift, present; accusative supine of dō;... |
| 3 | Latin | datus | given; offered; yielded |
| 4 | Latin | dāre | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | didō | give |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dédeh₃ti | to be giving |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₃- | to give |
Words derived from “metadata”