English word origin

Etymology of math

Clipping of mathematics.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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 ↗

verb

To perform mathematical calculations or mathematical analysis; to do math · To add up, compute; (by extension) to make sense.

noun

Clipping of mathematics. · Arithmetic calculations; (see do the math). · A math course or class.

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

Clipping of mathematics.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A mowing; what is gathered from mowing.

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

From Middle English math, from Old English mǣþ (“a mowing, that which is mown, cutting of grass”), from Proto-Germanic *mēþą (“a mowing”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- (“to mow”); equivalent to mow + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with German Mahd (“a mowing, reaping”), West Frisian mêd (“area of land that can be mown in one day; domain, realm”). Related also to Old English mǣd (“mead, meadow, pasture”). See meadow.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*h₂meh₁-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionmathenm
Inherited-form mentionmǣþang · a mowing, that which is mown, cutting of grass
Inherited-form mention*mēþągem-pro · a mowing
Derivation mention*h₂meh₁-ine-pro · to mow
Cognate mentionMahdde · a mowing, reaping
Cognate mentionmêdfy · area of land that can be mown in one day; domain, realm
Cognate mentionmǣdang · mead, meadow, pasture

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 ↗

noun

Clipping of matha.

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

Contraction of matha.

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

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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-bWF0aA