Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “monolith” come from?

Monolith comes from Middle French monolythe, derived from French monolithe, ultimately from Greek elements meaning "single stone."

monolith (English): A large, single block of stone which is a natural...

Definitions

  1. A large, single block of stone which is a natural...

Ancestry of “monolith”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmonolithemonolith
2Middle Frenchmonolythemade from a single block of stone
3Latinmonolithusmade from a single block of stone
4Ancient Greekμονόλιθοςmade from a single block of stone
5Ancient Greekμόνοςalone, forsaken, solitary; only; unique
6Ancient Greekσπέρμαseed; semen, sperm; seed-time, sowing
7Proto-Hellenic*spérmə—

Words derived from “monolith”

  • monolithism
  • monolithal
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *spérmə →