Etymology Map
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Volt

3 stages from Italian to English.

Today it means the SI unit of electric potential difference

Where does the word "volt" come from? It comes from Italian Volta, passing through French before entering English (1870s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
Volta
Italian · 1800
"a family name"
Alessandro Volta of Como described his voltaic pile, the first electric battery, in a letter to the Royal Society in 1800
2
Stage 2 of 3
volt
French · 1881
"unit of voltage"
the International Electrical Congress in Paris adopted the volt as the unit of electromotive force in 1881
3
Stage 3 of 3
volt
English · 1870s
"unit of voltage"
used by British scientists from the 1870s and fixed internationally in 1881
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Read the full story

Volt’s story begins in Italian: Volta meant “a family name.” Alessandro Volta of Como described his voltaic pile, the first electric battery, in a letter to the Royal Society in 1800. By 1881, the word had taken hold in French as volt. The International Electrical Congress in Paris adopted the volt as the unit of electromotive force in 1881. It reached English by 1870s as volt. Used by British scientists from the 1870s and fixed internationally in 1881. Today, volt means the SI unit of electric potential difference.