tempus (Latin)
Where does "tempus" come from?
The Latin word tempus stems from the Proto-Italic *tempos, with linguists proposing two origins: it either evolved from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to stretch," referring to a stretch of time, or from a root meaning "to cut," denoting a section of time. Interestingly, the term also expanded to describe the physical "temples" of the head, a shift influenced by a semantic loan from Ancient Greek that linked the proper time to vital body parts. This versatile word, which also laid the groundwork for terms related to grammar and climate, highlights how ancient concepts of timing and measurement were intrinsically linked to physical space.
Full etymology tree
- tempus (Latin), 'a time (a portion or period of time)'
- inherited *tempos (Proto-Italic), 'stretch; or section, period (of time. See etymology)'
- derived *temp- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to stretch, exert an effort on'
- derived *temh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to cut'
- inherited *tempos (Proto-Italic), 'stretch; or section, period (of time. See etymology)'
Ancestors
- *tempos (Proto-Italic)
- *temh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- καίριος (Ancient Greek)
Cognates and doublets
- τέμνω (Ancient Greek)
- temno (Latin)
- þunwang (Old English)
Descendants and derived words
- denbora (Basque)
- tempora (Italian)
- tempus fugit (Latin)
- têmpora (Portuguese)
- têmpora (Portuguese)
- témpora (Spanish)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris