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Where does the word "epoch" come from? It comes from Greek epokhe, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
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Where does the word "epoch" come from? It comes from Greek epokhe, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
Epoch’s story begins in Greek: epokhe meant “a pause, a fixed point in time.” Literally a stopping point, a fixed point in time. It reached English by 1600s as epoch. Settled as the word for a distinct period of time or history. Today, epoch means a particular period of time marked by notable events.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient epokhe "a pause, a fixed point in time", literally a stopping point, a fixed point in time.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s epoch "a distinct period of history", settled as the word for a distinct period of time or history.