Etymology

motor cause

Today it means: Synonym of efficient cause Full definition →

Ancient Greek κινῆσαν αἴτιον
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · calque ofκινῆσαν αἴτιον
  2. English todaymotor cause

Calque of Ancient Greek κινῆσαν αἴτιον (kinêsan aítion, literally “moving cause”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.