Where does “terminal” come from?
Terminal derives from Latin terminalis, formed from terminus meaning "boundary" or "end" and the Latin suffix -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ter-.
terminal (English): A building in an airport where passengers...
Definitions
- A building in an airport where passengers...
Ancestry of “terminal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | terminal | terminal |
| 2 | Latin | terminalis | boundary; terminal; final, concluding |
| 3 | Latin | Terminus | the deity presiding over boundaries; a personification of the term terminus |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ter- | tender, weak; young creature |
| 5 | Italian | termine | end, close; limit, term, date, time; term, word |
| 6 | Latin | terminus | a boundary, limit, end |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | termenos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | térmn̥ | boundary, end |