Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nanosecond” come from?

nanosecond (English) comes from English second, from Middle French seconder, from Latin secundo, from Latin secundus, from Latin sequor, from Proto-Italic sekʷōr, from Proto-Indo-European sékʷetor, from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- — to follow; to see; to say.

nanosecond (English): A measure of time equal to one billionth of a...

Definitions

  1. A measure of time equal to one billionth of a...

Ancestry of “nanosecond”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsecondNumber-two; following after the first one with...
2Middle Frenchseconder—
3Latinsecundodative masculine singular of secundus; dative...
4Latinsecundussecond, the ordinal number after prīmus and...
5LatinsequorI follow, come or go after
6Proto-Italicsekʷōrfollow, come/go after
7Proto-Indo-Europeansékʷetorto be following
8Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

Words derived from “nanosecond”

  • subnanosecond
  • ナノセカンド
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- →