system
/ˈsɪstəm/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
σύστημα — organized whole, composition
Overview
Meaning Now
- A set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network.
- An organized scheme, method, or procedure.
Literal older meaning
organized whole
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
systema
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term originated from the Greek 'sunhistanai' (to place together). It was historically used in academic and theological contexts to describe an organized set of doctrines, later expanding to mechanical and biological networks during the Scientific Revolution.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
σύστημα
“organized whole”
- Late Latin
systēma
“system, arrangement”
- 17th century English
system
“an organized body of ideas or principles”
Connections
Word parts
syn-
prefix
together
histanai
root
to stand
Related across languages
German
system
French
système
system
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Related to system
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.