Where does “system” come from?
System comes from Middle French systeme, from Ancient Greek σύστημα meaning a whole formed by combining parts, derived from σύν meaning together and steh₂- meaning to stand or place.
system (English): A collection of organized things; a whole...
Definitions
- A collection of organized things; a whole...
Ancestry of “system”, step by step
system traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Late Latin systema
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | systema | harmony; musical scale; set of celestial objects;... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | σύστημα | a whole made of several parts or members, system;... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -μᾰ | "suffix forming a noun denoting the result of an... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -mn̥ | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs |
via Middle French sisteme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | sisteme | — |