Where does “nomad” come from?
Nomad comes from Middle French nomade, from Latin nomas, from Ancient Greek νομάς, derived from νέμω meaning to pasture or distribute.
nomad (English): A member of a society or class who herd animals...
Definitions
- A member of a society or class who herd animals...
Ancestry of “nomad”, step by step
nomad traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English North
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | North | Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie |
| 2 | French | Nord | north |
| 3 | Middle French | nord | north |
| 4 | Old French | nort | north |
| 5 | Old English | norþ | north |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nurþrą | north, northern; north, northward |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | below the surface, below |
via French nomade
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | nomade | nomadic; nomad |
| 2 | Middle French | nomade | nomad |
| 3 | Latin | Nomas | a nomad; Numidian |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Νομάς | a Numidian; an inhabitant of Numidia |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | νομός | pasture, field; herbage, food; division,... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | νέμω | to deal out, distribute, dispense; to pasture or... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | némos | sacrifice, worship; place of sacrifice, clearing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | nem- | to distribute; to give, to take |