measurement
/ˈmɛʒərmənt/
noun
Origin
Old French
mesurer — to measure
Overview
Meaning Now
- The action of measuring something.
- The size, length, or amount of something as ascertained by measuring.
Literal older meaning
the act of meting or judging
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
mesurement
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'metiri', related to 'mensus'. It arrived in English via Old French during the Middle English period, influenced by the Latin 'mensura'. The suffix '-ment' was commonly used in French and Middle English to transform verbs of action into nouns representing the state or result of that action.
Evolution
- Latin
metiri
“to measure”
- Vulgar Latin
mensurare
“to measure”
development of the nasalized form
- Old French
mesurer
“to measure”
- Middle English
mesurement
“the action of measuring”
addition of the suffix -ment
Connections
Word parts
measure
root
to ascertain dimensions
-ment
suffix
forming a noun denoting an action or result
Related across languages
French
mesure
measure
Spanish
mesura
moderation/measure
Italian
misura
measure
Explore next
Related to measurement
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.