Where does “modicum” come from?
Modicum comes from Middle English modicum, from Latin modicum, the neuter form of modicus meaning "moderate," derived from Latin modus meaning "measure," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European med-.
modicum (English): A modest, small, or trifling amount
Definitions
- A modest, small, or trifling amount
Ancestry of “modicum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | modicum | — |
| 2 | Latin | modicum | a little, a small amount; nominative neuter... |
| 3 | Latin | modicus | moderate; temperate, restrained; reasonable |
| 4 | Latin | -icus | belonging to; derived from; of or pertaining to;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |