Giga
/ˈdʒɪɡə/noun
A metric prefix meaning one billion, or 10^9.
Did you know?The prefix giga- was borrowed from Greek gigas, meaning “giant,” so every time you say gigabyte, you’re literally speaking the language of giants.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
γίγας (gígas)
“giant”
Late Latin
Latin
gigas
“giant”
19th Century
French
giga-
“metric prefix for one billion, adopted in scientific terminology”
20th Century
English
giga-
“metric prefix meaning 10^9”
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