kinetic

Where does the word "kinetic" come from? It comes from Greek kinētikos, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).

Kinetic’s story begins in Greek: kinētikos meant “moving.” Greek, from 'kinein', to move, the root of the much later coinage 'cinema'. It reached English by 1850s as kinetic. 'kinetic energy' dates from the 1870s. Today, kinetic means relating to motion.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kinētikos "moving", Greek, from 'kinein', to move, the root of the much later coinage 'cinema'.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1850s kinetic "of motion", 'kinetic energy' dates from the 1870s.