*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of nano-

Etymology tree Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos)bor. Latin nānusbor. English nano- Borrowed from Latin nānus (“dwarf”), borrowed from Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos, “dwarf”).

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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 ↗
prefix

In the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 10⁻⁹ (short scale billionth or long scale milliardth). Symbol: n · Derived from the nanotechnology industry. · Very small.

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

Etymology tree Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos)bor. Latin nānusbor. English nano- Borrowed from Latin nānus (“dwarf”), borrowed from Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos, “dwarf”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "la:nānus<t:dwarf>",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nAncient Greek νᾶνος (nânos)bor.\nLatin nānusbor.\nEnglish nano-\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"dwarf\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"dwarf\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"νᾶνος\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"nānus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"nano-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"nano-\">\nBorrowed from Latin nānus (“dwarf”), borrowed from Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos, “dwarf”)."
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "la:nānus<t:dwarf>",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nAncient Greek νᾶνος (nânos)bor.\nLatin nānusbor.\nEnglish nano-\nBorrowed from Latin nānus (“dwarf”), borrowed from Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos, “dwarf”)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "νᾶνος",
      "νᾶνος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "nānus",
      "nanus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "nānus",
      "nanus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "νᾶνος",
      "νᾶνος#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "In the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 10⁻⁹ (short scale billionth or long scale milliardth). Symbol: n",
        "Derived from the nanotechnology industry.",
        "Very small."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme",
        "diminutive"
      ],
      "recordId": "bd476e6b1e07b2ef735edee6d39e59e302f7162a1b6f36ba31270916dc0edb55",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ac9d1a6521b376ca250d9a09826850ee3435b8220009570f680102d3dd6f2126",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 155065
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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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 nano- →

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-bmFuby0