*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of monad

From Latin monas (“unit”) (from Ancient Greek μονάς (monás), from μόνος (mónos), from Proto-Indo-European *men-). By surface analysis, mono- + -ad.

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

One thing, one being, one item. · A group of entities or items treated as one entity. · An ultimate atom, or simple, unextended point; something ultimate and indivisible. · A single individual (such as a pollen grain) that is free from others, not united in a group.

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

From Latin monas (“unit”) (from Ancient Greek μονάς (monás), from μόνος (mónos), from Proto-Indo-European *men-). By surface analysis, mono- + -ad.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 3 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": "*men- (small)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "monas",
        "t": "unit"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin monas (“unit”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "μονάς"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek μονάς (monás)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*men-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *men-"
    },
    {
      "name": "surf",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mono-",
        "3": "-ad"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, mono- + -ad"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "monas",
      "monas#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "μονάς",
      "μονάς#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "μόνος",
      "μόνος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "*men-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/men-"
    ],
    [
      "mono-",
      "mono-#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ad",
      "-ad#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "One thing, one being, one item.",
        "A group of entities or items treated as one entity.",
        "An ultimate atom, or simple, unextended point; something ultimate and indivisible.",
        "A single individual (such as a pollen grain) that is free from others, not united in a group."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "5fe5ffbf3927018968ef9528db2a33bba61db1833debb00e8268215ab226acd8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ca73e8f8b0973cd1ce8805b2027e966a89b29a45d0042e5e68e3381d263571d2",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 231749
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 3,
    "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 monad →

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-bW9uYWQ