English word inch comes from Proto-Indo-European *yo-, Proto-Indo-European *oynolos, and later Proto-Italic *oinos (One.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *yo- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *oynolos | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *óywos | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *oinos | Proto-Italic (itc-pro) | One. |
| oinos | Old Latin (itc-ola) | (cardinal) one. |
| unum | Latin (lat) | |
| uncia | Latin (lat) | (figuratively) A trifle, bit, atom.. The twelfth part of a foot, inch.. The twelfth part of a jugerum.. The twelfth part of a pound, ounce.. The twelfth part of something; twelfth. |
| ynce | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
| inch | English (en) | (intransitive, followed by a preposition) To advance very slowly, or by a small amount (in a particular direction).. To deal out by inches; to give sparingly.. To drive by inches, or small degrees. (figuratively) A very short distance.. (meteorology) The amount of water which would cover a surface to the depth of an inch, used as a measurement of rainfall.. A unit of length equal to one [...] |