Internet
/ˈɪn.tə.net/noun
A worldwide system of interconnected computer networks that uses standardized communication protocols to exchange data.
Did you know?Internet was originally a technical abbreviation of “internetwork,” describing the linking of separate computer networks rather than one single network.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*en-ter
“Within, inside, or between; the ancient source of Latin inter and English enter”
Ancient Latin
Latin
inter
“Between or among”
Old English
Old English
net
“A woven mesh used for catching or enclosing things”
Old English
Old English
weorc
“Work, activity, or the result of labor; the source of English work”
20th Century
English
internetwork
“A system formed by connecting separate computer networks”
1970s
English
Internet
“A shortened form of internetwork, increasingly used for interconnected computer systems”