Where does “timepiece” come from?
Timepiece derives from English time and piece, where piece comes from Middle English time, Old French piece, Latin pettia, and Ancient Greek θέμα, ultimately from the root τίθημι meaning to place or set.
timepiece (English): Any device that measures or registers time; a...
Definitions
- Any device that measures or registers time; a...
Ancestry of “timepiece”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | piece | A part of a larger whole, usually in such a form... |
| 2 | Middle English | pece | piece; morsel; bit |
| 3 | Old French | piece | piece, bit, part; circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | pettia | piece, portion |
| 5 | Latin | pettia | piece, portion |
| 6 | Gaulish | pettyā | — |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | kʷezdis | piece, portion |