Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “theorem” come from?

Theorem comes from Middle French théorème, from Late Latin theorema, from Ancient Greek θεώρημα, a noun formed with the suffix -μα from θεωρός meaning "spectator," derived from θέα "sight" and ϝοράω "to see," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.

theorem (English): A mathematical statement of some importance that...

Definitions

  1. A mathematical statement of some importance that...

Ancestry of “theorem”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchthéorème—
2Latintheōrēma—
3Ancient Greekθεώρημαsight, spectacle; vision, intuition; speculation,...
4Ancient GreekθεωρέωI am sent (as a θεωρός to consult an oracle; I...
5Ancient Greekθεωρόςspectator; envoy sent to consult an oracle
6Ancient Greekθέαview, sight
7Proto-Hellenic*tʰáwā—

Words derived from “theorem”

  • theorematic
  • nontheorem
  • antitheorem
  • theoremic
  • theorematics
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *tʰáwā →