Etymology Map
Back to all words

Scheme

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a plan; a secret plot

Where does the word "scheme" come from? It comes from Greek skhēma, passing through Latin before entering English (1550s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
skhēma
Greek · ancient
"form, figure"
Greek, from 'ekhein', to have or hold
2
Stage 2 of 3
schema
Latin · ancient
"plan, figure"
used for figures of speech and diagrams
3
Stage 3 of 3
scheme
English · 1550s
"figure; plan"
the sense 'devious plot' dates from the 1700s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Scheme’s story begins in Greek: skhēma meant “form, figure.” Greek, from 'ekhein', to have or hold. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as schema. Used for figures of speech and diagrams. It reached English by 1550s as scheme. The sense 'devious plot' dates from the 1700s. Today, scheme means a plan; a secret plot.