Where does “symbol” come from?
Symbol comes from French symbole, from Latin symbolum, from Ancient Greek σύμβολον, ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root som- meaning "to throw" or "put together."
symbol (English): A character or glyph representing an idea,...
Definitions
- A character or glyph representing an idea,...
Ancestry of “symbol”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | symbole | symbol |
| 2 | Latin | symbolum | symbol, token; creed |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σύμβολον | a sign or token by which one infers a thing; a... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σῠμβάλλω | I throw together, dash together, compare,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | βάλλω | I throw, cast, hurl; I let fall; I strike, touch |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *gʷəlnō | — |