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micron

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Etymology and origin of the French word micron

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1880 minutes of the International Committee for Weights and Measures More words from the 19th century
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek μικρόν
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek μικρός

Forms

micron m (plural microns)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μικρόν (mikrón), the neuter of the adjective μικρός (mikrós, “small”).[2][3][4][5] The same adjective gives the prefix micro-.[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi dates it to 1880, in the minutes of the sessions of the International Committee for Weights and Measures for 1879, as a unit of length equal to a millionth of a metre.[2] The Grand Robert and the GLLF date it to 1888, the Petit Robert to 1890.[7][8][9]

Semantic evolution

A term of metrology, it names a thousandth of a millimetre, the scale of observations under the microscope; its symbol was μ.[2][5] It is synonymous with micromètre (1959), and dictionaries now describe micron as the former name of the micrometre.[3][9][10]

The verb microniser and the noun micronisation (about 1970) were formed from it in the sciences, for reducing a solid to very small particles.[3]

Timeline

  • 1880 – Recorded in the minutes of the International Committee for Weights and Measures.[2]
  • 1888 – Entered in Larousse.[8]
  • 1959 – Micromètre is recorded as its synonym.[3]
  • c. 1970 – Microniser and micronisation appear.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (metrology, dated) A micron, a micrometre: one millionth of a metre.[2][9][10]

Word family

  • microniser
  • micronisation

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
  6. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Micron.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/micron. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·