Where does “multitask” come from?
Multitask combines English multi from Latin multus, meaning "much" or "many," ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European mel- or mey-, with English task.
multitask (English): Handling or involving multiple tasks at once
Definitions
- Handling or involving multiple tasks at once
Ancestry of “multitask”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | task | A piece of work done as part of one’s duties; Any... |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | tasca | — |
| 3 | Latin | taxa | second-person singular present active imperative... |
| 4 | Latin | taxāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | Taxus | yew |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | εἶδος | That which is seen: form, image, shape;... |
| 7 | Spanish | -scopio | -scope |
| 8 | Latin | -scopium | — |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | σκοπέω | I look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | σκοπός | watcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | σκέπτομαι | I look at, examine; I examine, consider, think |
| 12 | Proto-Hellenic | sképťomai | to look at |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |