English word origin

Etymology of em

Attested since 1808. In typography, the em is named after the em quadrat (later called em quad), from m quadrat, a metal type used in letterpress typesetting, which is as wide as the point size of the font.

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

The name of the Latin script letter M/m. · A unit of measurement equal to the height of the type in use. · A relative unit of sizing defined in terms of the font size.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": "name of the Latin script letter _M_, _m_"
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "em quadrat",
      "em quadrat#English"
    ],
    [
      "em quad",
      "em quad#English"
    ],
    [
      "m quadrat",
      "m quadrat#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
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      "lang": "Alabama",
      "lang_code": "akz",
      "word": "ìmka",
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        "reshaped by analogy or addition of morphemes"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

pron

Alternative form of 'em.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See 'em.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

pron

A gender-neutral third-person singular object pronoun, the objective case of ey or e, equivalent to the singular them and coordinate with him and her.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Coined by Christine M. Elverson by removing the "th" from them, perhaps influenced by the pre-existing em/'em, now often perceived as apheretic forms of them (though originally unrelated).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

intj

a form of hesitant speech, or an expression of uncertainty

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Onomatopoeic. Compare um.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗

noun

The name of the letter м/М in Cyrillic alphabets.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Russian эм (em), Ukrainian ем (em), etc.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionэмru
Borrowed-form mentionемuk

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for em →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZW0