element

Etymology

From Middle English element, from Old French element, from Latin elementum (“a first principle, element, rudiment”); origin uncertain. Perhaps ultimately from L M N, first three letters of the second half of the Canaanite alphabet, recited by ancient scribes when learning it (in sense compare English ABC(s) (“fundamentals”)). This idea has been criticized though due to the absence of any evidence for use of a half-split in the Latin alphabet itself and the lack of evidence for the use of "el", "em", and "en" as letter names in early Latin. An alternative related idea is that elementum was borrowed into Latin from a Semitic term (probably via Egyptian) halaḥama, which derives from the old South Semitic initial character sequence, h-l-ḥ-m..., though this theory presents some difficulties as well.

The equivalent Greek term στοιχεῖον (stoikheîon, “element, letter”) (introduced in the sense of "element" by Plato), like the Latin elementum, has the dual meaning of "element" and "letter," which does suggest that the semantic connection between these ideas could be quite old.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈel.ɪ.mənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: el‧e‧ment

Noun

element (plural elements)

1. One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.

   Letters are the elements of written language.

   • Benjamin Jowett (1817-1893) (Thucydides)

     The simplicity which is so large an element in a noble nature was laughed to scorn.

   1. (chemistry) Any one of the simplest chemical substances that cannot be decomposed in a chemical reaction or by any chemical means and made up of atoms all having the same number of protons.
   2. One of the four basic building blocks of matter in theories of ancient philosophers and alchemists: water, earth, fire, and air.
   3. (law) A required aspect or component of a cause of action. A deed is regarded a violation of law only if each element can be proved.
   4. (set theory) One of the objects in a set.
2. A small part of the whole.

   an element of doubt;  an element of the picture

   • 1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the Strings:

     The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.

3. (plural only, with "the") Atmospheric forces such as strong winds and rains.

   exposed to the elements

4. A place or state of being that an individual or object is best suited to.

   to be in one's element

5. (Christianity, usually in the plural) The bread and wine taken at Holy Communion.
6. A group of people within a larger group having a particular common characteristic.

   You sometimes find the hooligan element at football matches.

7. A component in electrical equipment, often in the form of a coil, having a high resistance, thereby generating heat when a current is passed through it.

   The element in this electric kettle can heat the water in under a minute.

8. (computing) One of the conceptual objects in a markup language, usually represented in text by a matching pair of tags.
   • 2011, Richard Wagner, Creating Web Pages All-in-One For Dummies

     The div element was introduced into HTML as a solution to the layout problem.

References

• Lehmann, R.G. (2011). "27-30-22-26 - How many letters needs an alphabet?". In de Voogt, A.; Quack, J.F. The Idea of Writing: Writing Across Borders. Brill. pp. 15–16, note 8.

Anagrams

• leetmen

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /ə.ləˈment/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /ə.ləˈmen/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /e.leˈment/

Noun

element m (plural elements)

1. element

Etymology

From Latin elementum

Noun

element

1. element.

References

• Mirjejev, V. A.; Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎, Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Noun

element n (singular definite elementet, plural indefinite elementer)

1. (set theory) element

References

• “element” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology

From Old French element, from Latin elementum (“a first principle, element, rudiment”); origin uncertain. Perhaps ultimately from L M N, first three letters of the second half of the Canaanite alphabet, recited by ancient scribes when learning it (in sense compare English ABC(s) (“fundamentals”)).

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ele‧ment
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

element n (plural elementen, diminutive elementje n)

1. element
2. (chemistry) element
3. (set theory) element

Anagrams

• leemten

Etymology

From Latin elementum

Noun

element n (definite singular elementet, indefinite plural element or elementer, definite plural elementa or elementene)

1. an element

References

• “element” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Etymology

From Latin elementum

Noun

element n (definite singular elementet, indefinite plural element, definite plural elementa)

1. an element

References

• “element” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛˈlɛ.mɛnt/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

element m inan

1. element (component, piece of a larger whole)
2. (pejorative, dated) element (group of people)

   Wieczorami w knajpie zbierał się podejrzany element.

   In the evenings, suspicious element congregated in the pub.

Alternative forms

• (Bosnian, Serbian): elèmenat

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /elěment/
• Hyphenation: e‧le‧ment

Noun

elèment m (Cyrillic spelling елѐмент)

1. element

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

element n

1. element; basic building block of matter in ancient philosophy
2. element; a place or state of being that an individual or object is better suited towards
3. elements; forces of weather
4. element; an object in a set
5. (mathematics) element of a matrix
6. heating element, radiator
7. (computing) element; object in markup language

Etymology

From German Element.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛ.le.ˈment]
• Hyphenation: e‧le‧ment

Noun

element (definite accusative elementi, plural elementler)

1. (chemistry) element