English word origin

Etymology of mode

From Old French mode (masculine), from Latin modus (“measure, due measure, rhythm, melody”). Doublet of modus.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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

A particular means of accomplishing something. · A state related to signals or vibrations. · A wave pattern in the electromagnetic field. · One of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours.

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

From Old French mode (masculine), from Latin modus (“measure, due measure, rhythm, melody”). Doublet of modus.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*med-ine-pro
Derivation mentionmodefro
Derivation mentionmodusla
Doublet mentionmodusen

This page abbreviates 11 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*med-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "mode"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French mode"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "modus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "measure, due measure, rhythm, melody"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin modus (“measure, due measure, rhythm, melody”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "modus"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of modus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "mode",
      "mode#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "modus",
      "modus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "modus",
      "modus#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A particular means of accomplishing something.",
        "A state related to signals or vibrations.",
        "A wave pattern in the electromagnetic field.",
        "One of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "especially"
      ],
      "recordId": "013d9cc7b2ceed305b87722e5f56353817ec78181581708b0ce6c30a771073df",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8919878b15a60243b182643ccbf274988759659a33b8a180146358caafd24b59",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 167161
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 11,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Style or fashion; popular trend.

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

From French mode f (“fashion, trend”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mentionmodefr · fashion, trend

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "mode",
        "t": "fashion, trend",
        "g": "f"
      },
      "expansion": "French mode f (“fashion, trend”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "mode",
      "mode#French"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Style or fashion; popular trend."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "834ef10c2b02176f4c287bc1a3ba0933920508cda31f80d024ffcfcdd0ff7a0e",
      "rawRecordSha256": "59e764730af1a24d9a978ce1dac173832b9006d66ae558fa75d2828815d809f8",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 167162
    }
  ],
  "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 mode →

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-bW9kZQ