Where does “team” come from?
Team comes from Middle English teme, from Old English tēam, from Latin thema, from Ancient Greek θέμα, from the root of Ancient Greek τίθημι meaning "to place or put," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European deh₂- meaning "to place."
team (English): A set of draught animals, such as two horses in...
Definitions
- A set of draught animals, such as two horses in...
Ancestry of “team”, step by step
team traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English tem
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tem | Alternative form of teme; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | tēam | team; child-bearing, offspring, brood, set of... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *taum | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taumaz | a tie; tether; rope; cord; strap; leash; bridle;... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | taugijaną | to stretch, draw |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |
via Middle English teme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | teme | kinfolk, clan, people; The privilege of making... |
| 2 | Old French | teme | — |
| 3 | Latin | thema | theme, topic; the alignment of celestial bodies... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | θέμα | That which is placed or laid down; Something... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τίθημι | I put, place, set; I make, cause to be; I make |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |