Denominator
/dɪˈnɒmɪneɪtər/noun
The bottom number in a fraction, or a common factor or feature shared by a group.
Did you know?Its core comes from Latin *nominare* (“to name”), the same root behind *nominate*, *name*, and *noun* — so even math has an old language of naming and power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁nómn̥
“a name”
Latin
Latin
nōmen
“a name”
Late Latin
Latin
denomināre
“to name, call by a name; to designate”
Late Latin
Latin
denominātor
“one who names or designates”
14th–15th Century
Middle English
denominator
“one who names or designates; later, in arithmetic, the lower number in a fraction”