English
model
Model comes from Middle French modelle, from Old Italian modello, from Vulgar Latin *modellus, diminutive of Latin modulus ‘measure, standard’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-1‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mod-ós1‘measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*modos1reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodus2‘measure’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodulus2‘measure, standard’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*modellus2reconstructed
- Old Italianmodernmodello2
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600modelle2‘template’
- Englishearliest quotation 1595model2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin modus
- 2 Wiktionary, English model
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “Thou seest thy wretched brother die, / Who was…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-Wiktionary, Latin modus‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mod-ósWiktionary, Latin modus‘measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*modosWiktionary, Latin modusreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodusWiktionary, English model‘measure’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodulusWiktionary, English model‘measure, standard’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*modellusWiktionary, English modelreconstructed
- Old ItalianmodernmodelloWiktionary, English model
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600modelleWiktionary, English model‘template’
- Englishearliest quotation 1595modelWiktionary, English model. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “Thou seest thy wretched brother die, / Who was…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’
must, medical, medicine, medication, meditation, med, remedy, moderate, medicinal, blackmail, medic, meditate, modest, moderator, mete, modulate, mote, commode, 23 more
through Proto-Italic *modos
through Vulgar Latin modus ‘measure’
modern, mud, mood, commodity, modification, molding, modal, modus, modicum, modifiable, moulder, 16 more
through Vulgar Latin modulus ‘measure, standard’
Today it means
noun A person who poses as a subject or visual reference for an artist.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “model”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin modus. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *med- / model