median

Where does the word "median" come from? It comes from Latin medianus, and was adopted directly into English (1540s).

Median’s story begins in Latin: medianus meant “in the middle.” In the middle, from medius (middle). It reached English by 1540s as median. Settled as the English word for the middle value in a set of numbers. Today, median means the middle value in a set of numbers arranged in order.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient medianus "in the middle", in the middle, from medius (middle).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1540s median "the middle value in an ordered set of numbers", settled as the English word for the middle value in a set of numbers.