Where does “normal” come from?
Normal comes from Latin normalis, from the suffix Latin -alis added to Ancient Greek γνώμων, derived from Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω meaning "to know," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃-.
normal (English): According to norms or rules or to a regular...
Definitions
- According to norms or rules or to a regular...
Ancestry of “normal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | normālis | perpendicular, square, with right angles |
| 2 | Latin | nōrma | a carpenter’s square |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | γνώμων | interpreter, discerner; carpenter's square;... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | γιγνώσκω | I am aware of; I perceive, observe, know, learn;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₃sḱéti | to recognise |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |