Where does “nanometer” come from?
Nanometer comes from English nano- combined with -meter, from Ancient Greek μέτρον meaning "measure," derived from the Proto-Indo-European root -tḗr meaning "one who measures."
nanometer (English): US spelling of nanometre
Definitions
- US spelling of nanometre
Ancestry of “nanometer”, step by step
| 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... |