Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “object” come from?

Object comes from Latin obiectum, past participle of obiectus, from iacio meaning "to throw," ultimately from Ancient Greek βέλος meaning "missile" or "projectile."

object (English): A thing that has physical :existence; Objective;...

Definitions

  1. A thing that has physical :existence; Objective;...

Ancestry of “object”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchobject—
2LatinobiectumA charge, accusation
3Latinobiectusoffered, presented; exposed; interposed, opposed
4Latinobiciō—
5Latinob-towards; against
6Latinobolusobolus
7Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
8Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
9Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “object”

  • objecting
  • objectification
  • objector
  • objectify
  • objectless
  • subobject
  • objecthood
  • objectual
  • objectifiable
  • metaobject
  • objectness
  • nonobject
  • multiobject
  • objectlike
  • objectlessness
  • objecteth
  • objectest
  • objectually
  • unobjectifiable
  • nonobjectifiable
  • nonobjecting
  • nanoobject
  • objectifier
  • unobjecting
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →