Etymology Map
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Apostrophe

4 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means the punctuation mark ' used for omitted letters or possession

Where does the word "apostrophe" come from? It comes from Greek apostrophos, passing through Late Latin and French before entering English (1580s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
apostrophos
Greek · ancient
"omission mark"
'turned away', i.e. the mark for a letter that has been left out
2
Stage 2 of 4
apostrophus
Late Latin · ancient
"apostrophe"
used by Roman grammarians
3
Stage 3 of 4
apostrophe
French · 1500s
"apostrophe"
printers made the mark standard in French typography
4
Stage 4 of 4
apostrophe
English · 1580s
"apostrophe"
its use for the possessive, as in 'the king's', became standard only in the 1700s
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Read the full story

Apostrophe’s story begins in Greek: apostrophos meant “omission mark.” 'turned away', i.e. the mark for a letter that has been left out. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Late Latin as apostrophus. Used by Roman grammarians. From there it passed into French as apostrophe by 1500s. Printers made the mark standard in French typography. It reached English by 1580s as apostrophe. Its use for the possessive, as in 'the king's', became standard only in the 1700s. Today, apostrophe means the punctuation mark ' used for omitted letters or possession.