Etymograph

English

idiom

Idiom comes from Middle French idiome, from Late Latin idioma, from Ancient Greek ἰδίωμα ‘a peculiarity; peculiar phraseology’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek ἴδιος ‘one’s own, private’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἴδιος1‘one's own, private’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἰδιόω2‘to make one's own’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἰδίωμα1idíōma‘a peculiarity; peculiar phraseology, idiom’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEidioma1
  5. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600idiome1‘language’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2005idiom1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English idiom
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἰδίωμα
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Magnus Lie Hetland, Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional: “I have to use the same assignment and call…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἴδιοςWiktionary, English idiom‘one's own, private’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἰδιόωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἰδίωμα‘to make one's own’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἰδίωμαWiktionary, English idiomidíōma‘a peculiarity; peculiar phraseology, idiom’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEidiomaWiktionary, English idiom
  5. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600idiomeWiktionary, English idiom‘language’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2005idiomWiktionary, English idiom. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Magnus Lie Hetland, Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional: “I have to use the same assignment and call…”

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Today it means

noun A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “idiom”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek ἰδίωμα. 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 ἴδιος / idiom