Element
/ˈɛlɪmənt/noun
A basic substance or fundamental component of something.
Did you know?Latin elementum may have originally meant an alphabet letter or basic unit of language, which is why philosophers later used it for the fundamental “letters” of nature.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*el-
“A proposed ancestral root associated with arranging or joining, though the exact prehistory of Latin elementum is uncertain.”
Early Latin
Latin
elementum
“An element, first principle, or basic constituent; also an alphabet letter in some later usage.”
Classical Latin
Latin
elementa
“The elements of nature, especially the four classical elements, and the rudiments of a subject.”
Old French
Old French
element
“A basic constituent or one of the four elements.”
Middle English
English
element
“A fundamental constituent, especially of matter or knowledge.”
Modern English
English
element
“A basic part of a whole or a chemical substance that cannot be broken down by ordinary means.”