Where does “micrometer” come from?
Micrometer derives from French micromètre, combining the Greek prefix μικρο- (mikro-, "small") with μέτρον (metron, "measure"), denoting an instrument for measuring minute distances or thicknesses.
micrometer (English): An SI/MKS unit of measure, the length of one...
Definitions
- An SI/MKS unit of measure, the length of one...
Ancestry of “micrometer”, step by step
micrometer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English meter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | meter | A device that measures things; A parking meter or... |
| 2 | French | mètre | metre/meter; first-person singular present... |
| 3 | Latin | metrum | a measure |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
via French micromètre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | micromètre | micrometre |