kilometer

Where does the word "kilometer" come from? It comes from Greek khilioi, passing through French before entering English (1800s).

Kilometer’s story begins in Greek: khilioi meant “thousand.” Thousand, combined with French metre for a thousand meters. By 1790s, the word had taken hold in French as kilometre. Coined during the French Revolution's new metric system. It reached English by 1800s as kilometer. Settled as the English spelling of the metric unit. Today, kilometer means a metric unit of length equal to one thousand meters.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient khilioi "thousand", thousand, combined with French metre for a thousand meters.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1790s kilometre "a thousand meters", coined during the French Revolution's new metric system.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s kilometer "a unit of length equal to a thousand meters", settled as the English spelling of the metric unit.