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Origin and history of median

median(adj.)

"pertaining to or situated in the middle, occupying a middle or intermediate position," 1590s, from French médian (15c.) and directly from Latin medianus "of the middle," from medius "in the middle" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle"). Originally anatomical, of veins, arteries, nerves; general use is by 1640s. Median strip "narrow strip (paved or not) between lanes of a divided road" is by 1939, American English.

median(n.)

1540s, "a median part," originally anatomical, from Latin medianus "of the middle" (see median (adj.)). Statistical meaning "middle number of a series" is from 1883.

also from 1540s

Entries linking to median

*medhyo-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "middle." Perhaps related to PIE root *me- (2) "to measure."

It might form all or part of: amid; intermediate; mean (adj.2) "occupying a middle or intermediate place;" medal; medial; median; mediate; medieval; mediocre; Mediterranean; medium; meridian; mesic; mesial; meso-; meson; Mesopotamia; Mesozoic; mezzanine; mezzo; mezzotint; mid (prep., adj.); middle; Midgard; midriff; midst; midwife; milieu; minge; mizzen; moiety; mullion.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit madhyah, Avestan madiya- "middle," Greek mesos, Latin medius "in the middle, between; from the middle," Gothic midjis, Old English midd "middle," Old Church Slavonic medzu "between," Armenian mej "middle."

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    Trends of median

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    average
    late 15c., "any small charge over freight cost, payable by owners of goods to the master of a ship for his care of the goods," also "financial loss incurred through damage to goods in transit," from French avarie "damage to ship," and Italian avaria. A word from 12c. Mediterranea
    mage
    learned and priestly class as portrayed in the Bible (said by ancient historians to have been originally the name of a Median...
    magi
    learned and priestly class as portrayed in the Bible (said by ancient historians to have been originally the name of a Median...
    lateral
    Specific sense "situated on either side of the median vertical longitudinal plane of the body" [Century Dictionary] is from...
    meridian
    its current name in 1860, supposedly by people who thought meridian meant "junction" (they perhaps confused the word with median...
    norm
    "a standard, pattern, or model," 1821 (Coleridge), from French norme, from Latin norma "carpenter's square, rule, pattern," a word of unknown origin. Klein suggests a borrowing (via Etruscan) of Greek gnōmōn "carpenter's square." The Latin form of the word, norma, was used in Eng
    morn
    "the first part of the day, the morning," late 14c., contracted from Middle English morwen, morghen, from Old English (Mercian) margen (dative marne), earlier morgen (dative morgne) "morning, forenoon, sunrise," from Proto-Germanic *murgana- "morning" (source also of Old Saxon mo
    value
    c. 1300, "price equal to the intrinsic worth of a thing;" late 14c., "degree to which something is useful or estimable," from Old French value "worth, price, moral worth; standing, reputation" (13c.), noun use of fem. past participle of valoir "be worth," from Latin valere "be st
    Knickerbocker
    "descendant of Dutch settlers of New York," 1831, from Diedrich Knickerbocker, the name under which Washington Irving published his popular "History of New York" (1809). The pen-name was borrowed from Irving's friend Herman Knickerbocker, and literally means "toy marble-baker," f
    fair
    Old English fæger "pleasing to the sight (of persons and body features, also of objects, places, etc.); beautiful, handsome, attractive," of weather, "bright, clear, pleasant; not rainy," also in late Old English "morally good," from Proto-Germanic *fagraz (source also of Old Sax

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    Dictionary entries near median
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