Poisson
/ˈpwɑː.sɒn/noun
A term relating to the Poisson distribution, a probability distribution used to model counts of events occurring independently over a fixed interval.
Did you know?The Poisson distribution is named after Siméon Denis Poisson, whose surname came from the French word for “fish,” ultimately descended from the ancient Indo-European word for the animal.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peisk-
“Fish; the reconstructed ancestral root associated with the word for fish.”
Classical Latin
Latin
piscis
“Fish.”
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin
*piscio / *piscione
“Fish; a later spoken form that developed from Latin piscis.”
Old French
Old French
peisson
“Fish.”
Modern French
French
poisson
“Fish; also a surname derived from the word.”
19th Century
English
Poisson
“A mathematical term referring to Siméon Denis Poisson or the probability distribution named after him.”
Explore more surprising origins