*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of locus

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *stel-der.? Proto-Italic *s(t)lokos Old Latin stlocus Latin locuslbor. English locus Learned borrowing from Latin locus. Doublet of lieu.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A place or locality, especially a centre of activity or the scene of a crime. · The set of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given equation or condition. · A fixed position on a string of DNA or RNA, especially a chromosome, that may be occupied by one or more genes. · A passage in writing, especially in a collection of ancient sacred writings arranged according to a theme.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *stel-der.? Proto-Italic *s(t)lokos Old Latin stlocus Latin locuslbor. English locus Learned borrowing from Latin locus. Doublet of lieu.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*stel-ine-pro
  • Learned-borrowing mentionlocusla
  • Doublet mentionlieuen
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "la:locus",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *stel-der.?\nProto-Italic *s(t)lokos\nOld Latin stlocus\nLatin locuslbor.\nEnglish locus\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"gloss\" : \"to put, place, locate\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*stel-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*s(t)lokos\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old Latin\", \"term\" : \"stlocus\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"itc-ola\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"locus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"locus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"locus\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*stel-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "lbor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "locus"
      },
      "expansion": "Learned borrowing from Latin locus"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "lieu"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of lieu"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "la:locus",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *stel-der.?\nProto-Italic *s(t)lokos\nOld Latin stlocus\nLatin locuslbor.\nEnglish locus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*stel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/stel-"
    ],
    [
      "*s(t)lokos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/s(t)lokos"
    ],
    [
      "stlocus",
      "stlocus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "locus",
      "locus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "locus",
      "locus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "lieu",
      "lieu#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A place or locality, especially a centre of activity or the scene of a crime.",
        "The set of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given equation or condition.",
        "A fixed position on a string of DNA or RNA, especially a chromosome, that may be occupied by one or more genes.",
        "A passage in writing, especially in a collection of ancient sacred writings arranged according to a theme."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "in-plural"
      ],
      "recordId": "58be2d01434a250bf75e1854f43e440d0a6a15908bc431a4fdbcf1ec22b68575",
      "rawRecordSha256": "563397a7bfe755321e982d3c41af45d29c5d938bc3ba5aa3b2860aa11c38355b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 254085
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 locus →

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-bG9jdXM