mnemonic

mnemonic · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*men-“to mind; to think”
2. Ancient Greek · borrowed fromμνημονῐκός“pertaining to memory or remembrance, memorial”
3. Late Latin · borrowed frommnemonicus
4. English todaymnemonic

Borrowed from Late Latin mnemonicus or its etymon Ancient Greek μνημονῐκός (mnēmonĭkós, “pertaining to memory or remembrance, memorial”) + English -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Mνημονῐκός (Mnēmonĭkós) is derived from μνήμων (mnḗmōn, “mindful, remembering”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives); while μνήμων (mnḗmōn) is from μνάομαι (mnáomai, “to be mindful, remember”) (from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to mind; to think”)) + -μων (-mōn, suffix forming adjectives and agent nouns). Cognates * French mnémonique (adjective) * German mnemonisch * Italian mnemonico * Portuguese mnemónica

mnemonic · noun²

1. Late Latin · borrowed frommnemonica
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromμνημονικόν“something used to help in remembering a thing”
3. Latin · borrowed frommnēmonicum“something used to help in remembering a thing”
4. English todaymnemonic

Noun sense 1 (“something used to help in remembering a thing”) is borrowed from Latin mnēmonicum (“something used to help in remembering a thing”), from Ancient Greek μνημονικόν (mnēmonikón, “something used to help in remembering a thing”), a noun use of the neuter form of μνημονῐκός (mnēmonĭkós, adjective): see etymology 1. Noun sense 3 (“synonym of mnemonics”) is borrowed from Late Latin mnemonica, a noun use of the feminine form of mnemonicus: see etymology 1. Cognates * French mnémonique (noun) * German Mnemonik * Italian mnemonica * Portuguese mnemónico

Words from the same roots