Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “quantum” come from?

Quantum comes from Late Latin quantum, derived from Latin quantus meaning "how much" or "of what size."

quantum (English): The total amount of something; quantity; The...

Definitions

  1. The total amount of something; quantity; The...

Ancestry of “quantum”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinquantumnominative neuter singular of quantus; accusative...
2Latinquantushow much, how many; how big
3Proto-Italic*kʷijentos—
4Proto-Indo-European*kʷíh₂onts—

Words derived from “quantum”

  • quanta
  • subquantum
  • nonquantum
  • prequantum
  • quantumness
  • quantumly
  • quantumlike
  • postquantum
  • quanton
  • semiquantum
  • ultraquantum
  • hyperquantum
  • multiquanta
  • quanta
  • quantum
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *kʷíh₂onts →