symbol (English)
Where does "symbol" come from?
The English word symbol comes from French 'symbole', which was borrowed from Latin 'symbolus' and 'symbolum', originating from Ancient Greek 'σύμβολον' meaning 'a sign by which one infers something' or 'token'[1][2][6]. This Greek noun derives from the verb 'συμβάλλω' meaning 'I throw together' or 'compare', formed by combining 'σύν' meaning 'with' and 'βάλλω' meaning 'to throw'[1]. The ultimate historical roots trace back to Proto-Indo-European elements denoting throwing together and hitting[5][7]. Over time, the meaning shifted from physical tokens and tallies to broader concepts of representation, creeds, and signs[1].
Open questions
- The exact morphological development and proto-forms underlying the Ancient Greek prefix are complex, with the vocalism and cluster origins remaining partly unexplained or debated. [7]
- Scholars propose different progressive aspect markers for the ancestral Proto-Hellenic forms related to the root for throwing. [5]
Full etymology tree
- symbol (English), 'A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.'
- borrowed symbole (French), 'symbol (all meanings)'
- derived symbolus (Latin), 'synonym of symbolum'
- derived symbolum (Latin), 'symbol, token'
- derived σύμβολον (súmbolon) (Ancient Greek), 'a sign or token by which one infers a thing'
- derived συμβάλλω (sumbállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to bring together, unite'
- compound σύν (sún) (Ancient Greek), 'beside, with'
- derived ξύν (xún) (Ancient Greek), 'Old Attic form of σῠ́ν (sŭ́n)'
- derived 𐀓𐀱 (ku-su) (Mycenaean Greek)
- derived *ksún (Proto-Hellenic), 'beside, with'
- derived 𐀓𐀱 (ku-su) (Mycenaean Greek)
- derived ξύν (xún) (Ancient Greek), 'Old Attic form of σῠ́ν (sŭ́n)'
- compound βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw, cast, hurl'
- derived *gʷəlnō (Proto-Hellenic)
- derived *gʷl̥-ne-h₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *gʷelH- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing'
- derived *gʷl̥-ne-h₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *gʷəlnō (Proto-Hellenic)
- compound σύν (sún) (Ancient Greek), 'beside, with'
- derived συμβάλλω (sumbállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to bring together, unite'
- derived σύμβολον (súmbolon) (Ancient Greek), 'a sign or token by which one infers a thing'
- derived symbolum (Latin), 'symbol, token'
- derived symbolus (Latin), 'synonym of symbolum'
- borrowed symbole (French), 'symbol (all meanings)'
Ancestors
- *sem- (Proto-Indo-European)
- symbole (French)
- symbolus (Latin)
- σύμβολον (Ancient Greek)
Descendants and derived words
- anarchy symbol (English)
- API service symbol (English)
- at symbol (English)
- biohazard symbol (English)
- Blissymbol (English)
- Cambrian symbol (English)
- chemical symbol (English)
- Christoffel symbol (English)
- compound symbol (English)
- copyleft symbol (English)
- copyright symbol (English)
- eigensymbol (English)
Sources
- symbol (English) - Wiktionary
- symbole (French) - Wiktionary
- symbolus (Latin) - Wiktionary
- σύμβολον (súmbolon) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- symbolum (Latin) - Wiktionary
- σύν (sún) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- συμβάλλω (sumbállō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris