Etymograph

English

disk

Disk comes from Ancient Greek δίσκος ‘a circular plate suited for hurling’, from δικεῖν ‘to cast’, and perhaps ultimately from δίκτυον ‘fishing net’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίκτυον1díktuon‘fishing net’uncertainearlier origin unknown
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδικεῖν2dikeîn‘to cast’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίσκος3dískos‘a circular plate suited for hurling’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1916disk3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek δικεῖν, which cites Beekes, Rix
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek δίσκος
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English disk
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1916, Various, Trees: “That is alkali. Mr. Kochendorfer: I have a ten-year…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίκτυονWiktionary, Ancient Greek δικεῖν, which cites Beekes, Rixdíktuon‘fishing net’uncertainearlier origin unknown
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδικεῖνWiktionary, Ancient Greek δίσκοςdikeîn‘to cast’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίσκοςWiktionary, English diskdískos‘a circular plate suited for hurling’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1916diskWiktionary, English disk. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1916, Various, Trees: “That is alkali. Mr. Kochendorfer: I have a ten-year…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek δικεῖν ‘to cast’

discus, discal, 7 more

through Ancient Greek δίσκος ‘a circular plate suited for hurling’

desk, dish, disc, dais, tish, 6 more

Today it means

noun A thin, flat, circular plate or similar object.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “disk”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek δικεῖν, Ancient Greek δίσκος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek δίκτυον / disk

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