Is There an "M" Connection Between Minimum, Medium, and Maximum?

[Keef]

I've always wondered why the words minimum, medium, and maximum all start with "m" and end with "-um". Why is this? What language did these words originate from? Is there something about the letter "m" that relates to amounts of something?

Some other words that come to mind are mean, median, mode, minor, major, and middle. Are all these words and others related in any way?

 

[Philly]

All I can think of is that they are all words used in Math.

Minimum - Latin from minimus, or smallest

Medium - Latin from medius, or middle

Maximum - Latin from maximus, or biggest.

The romans may be able to take this a bit further...

Mean, median, mode, minor, major, middle? My guess is that these are a bit of a coincidence. M-W says that these pretty much all originate from older branches of English.

I have often been curious as to why mathematicians use M for so many of their words as well.

 

[Omnis]

Mauve.

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

Mad men meandering methodically, manhandling maroon motorcycles?

 

[Blake]

Meh?

 

[Klostrophobic]

Meaningless, methinks.

 

[daan]

mmmmm?

 

[somebody]

Maybe!

 

[kennythebomb]

^ Moron

 

[TheCracker]

How about: Small - Standard - Substantial?

 

[Delirious]

Moo

 

[CDailey]

Arithmetic?

 

[DuckRacer]

This is all magically marvelous.

 

[Duke]

...but verging on utterly pointless, since the question was answered in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines of the 2nd post.

 

[OZZYGT]

I agree ^ thank you

 

[Omnis]

Malarkey.

 

[zoxxy]

Monopoly man.

 

[turboash78]

Man... moderators must mash meaningless mish-mash!

 

[Keef]

I have often been curious as to why mathematicians use M for so many of their words as well.

It seems like all these words can be linked to numbers and mathematics. Like mean, median, and mode, for instance. Where the heck did these words originate?

 

[dylansan]

A lot of things start with M. I noticed this when coming up with a list of things to take picture of for every letter, and I kept coming up with a bunch for M. Not to mention Make, Model, and Manufacturer.

 

[Philly]

Add Median and Mode to Medium, minimum and maximum.

Mode - From: Middle English moede, from Latin modus, having to do with musical mode.

Median - Latin: mediana, medianus, or medius, all meaning middle.

Mean is Germanic, from meinen, or to have in mind.

My guess is that mathmagicians have just adopted these words, for reasons I don't know.

 

[Delirious]

They like to magnify their magnificent money making meanderings