symbol (English)

Where does "symbol" come from?

The word 'symbol' traces its roots to the Ancient Greek verb 'sumbállō,' meaning 'to throw together.' This evolved into the noun 'súmbolon,' which originally referred to a physical token or tally used to verify identity or partnership by matching pieces together. Over time, the term transitioned through Latin and French to represent a broader 'outward sign' or abstract idea, reflecting how we now use symbols to unite concepts through a single representative form.

Full etymology tree

• symbol (English), 'A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.'
  • inherited symbole (French), 'symbol (all meanings)'
    • borrowed symbolum (Latin), 'symbol, token'
      • inherited σύμβολον (súmbolon) (Ancient Greek), 'a sign or token by which one infers a thing'
        • compound σῠν- (sŭn-) (Ancient Greek), 'with, together, co-, syn-'
        • compound βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw, cast, hurl'
          • inherited *gʷəlnō (Proto-Hellenic)
            • inherited *gʷl̥-ne-h₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
              • derived *gʷelH- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing'

Direct ancestors

• sem- (Proto-Indo-European)
• symbole (French)
• symbolus (Latin)
• σύμβολον (Ancient Greek)

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris