Where does “microlevel” come from?
Microlevel combines English micro- from Ancient Greek μικρός meaning small with English level from Latin libella meaning balance or level.
microlevel (English): A microscopic level
Ancestry of “microlevel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | level | The same height at all places; parallel to a flat... |
| 2 | Middle English | level | — |
| 3 | Old French | livel | — |
| 4 | Latin | lībella | — |
| 5 | Latin | lībra | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ζυγόν | yoke, for joining animals; yoke, burden; in... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | dzugón | yoke |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yugóm | yoke |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yewg- | to join, to yoke, to tie together |