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Origin and history of terminus

terminus(n.)

"goal, end, final point," 1610s, from Latin terminus (plural termini) "an end, a limit, boundary line." This is reconstructed to be from PIE *ter-men- "peg, post," from root *ter-, base of words meaning "peg, post; boundary, marker, goal" (source also of Sanskrit tarati "passes over, crosses over," tarantah "sea;" Hittite tarma- "peg, nail," tarmaizzi "he limits;" Greek terma "boundary, end-point, limit," termon "border;" Gothic þairh, Old English þurh "through;" Old English þyrel "hole;" Old Norse þrömr "edge, chip, splinter").

"The Hittite noun and the usage in Latin suggest that the PIE word denoted a concrete object which came to refer to a boundary-stone." [de Vaan]

In ancient Rome, Terminus was the name of the deity who presided over boundaries and landmarks, often represented in half-statues or busts, and the focus of the important Roman festival of Terminalia (held Feb. 23, the end of the old Roman year). The meaning "either end of a transportation line" originally of a railway, is by 1836.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to terminus

conterminous(adj.)

"having the same limit, touching at the boundary," 1670s, from Latin conterminus "bordering upon, having a common boundary," from assimilated form of com "together, with" (see con-) + terminus "end, boundary line" (see terminus). Related: Conterminously; conterminousness.

determinable(adj.)

c. 1400, "definite;" mid-15c., in law, "capable of being decided or settled;" from Old French determinable, from Late Latin determinabilis "that has an end," from stem of Latin determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to," from de "off" (see de-) + terminare "to mark the end or boundary," from terminus "end, limit" (see terminus). Meaning "capable of being ascertained" is from 1650s. Related: Determinability.

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determine
late 14c., determinen, "to settle, decide upon; state definitely; fix the bounds of; limit in time or extent," also "come to a firm decision or definite intention" (to do something), from Old French determiner (12c.) and directly from Latin determinare "to enclose, bound, set lim
term
c. 1200, terme "limit in time, set or appointed period," from Old French terme "limit of time or place, date, appointed time, duration" (11c.), from Latin terminus "end, boundary line," in Medieval Latin "expression, definition," related to termen "boundary, end" (see terminus).
terminal
mid-15c., "relating to or marking boundaries," from Latin terminalis "pertaining to a boundary or end, final," from terminus "end, boundary line" (see terminus). The meaning "fatal" (terminal illness) is recorded from 1891. The sense of "situated at the extreme end" (of something
yard
In railway usage, "ground adjacent to a train station or terminus, used for switching or coupling trains," 1827....
depot
1795, "warehouse or storehouse for receiving goods for storage, sale, or transfer," from French dépôt "a deposit, place of deposit," from Old French depost "a deposit or pledge," from Latin depositum "a deposit," noun use of neuter past participle of deponere "lay aside, put down
station
late 13c., stacioun, "a place one normally occupies," from Old French stacion, estacion "site, location; station of the Cross; stop, standstill," from Latin stationem (nominative statio) "a standing, standing firm; a post, job, position; military post; a watch, guard, sentinel; a
gaol
see jail (n.), you tea-sodden football hooligan. Formerly in official use in Britain, and thus sometimes regarded in U.S. as a characteristic British spelling (though George Washington used it); by the time of OED 2nd edition (1980s) both spellings were considered correct there;
goal
1530s, "end point of a race," of uncertain origin. It appears once before this (as gol), in a poem from early 14c. and with an apparent sense of "boundary, limit." Perhaps from Old English *gal "obstacle, barrier," a word implied by gælan "to hinder" and also found in compounds (
cathode
"negative pole of an electric current," 1834, from Latinized form of Greek kathodos "a going down, a way down," from kata "down" (see cata-) + hodos "a way, path, track, road," a word of uncertain origin (see Exodus). Proposed by the Rev. William Whewell, English polymath, and pu
termination
late 14c., "authoritative resolution of a matter," from Old French terminacion (13c.) and directly from Latin terminationem (nominative terminatio) "a fixing of boundaries, a bounding, determining," noun of action from past-participle stem of terminare "to mark the end or boundar

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