Where does “synonym” come from?
Synonym comes from Middle English sinonyme, from Latin synonymum, from Ancient Greek συνώνυμον, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European sem- meaning same.
synonym (English): A word whose meaning is the same as that of...
Definitions
- A word whose meaning is the same as that of...
Ancestry of “synonym”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sinonyme | — |
| 2 | Latin | synōnymum | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | συνώνυμος | Having the same name; Having only one meaning:... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σῠν- | together; with, together |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σύν | beside, with |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *ksún | — |
Words derived from “synonym”