ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌmän noun
( plural ety·ma -ˌmä, -_mə ; also etymons )
Etymology: Latin, origin of a word, from Greek, literal meaning of a word according to its origin, from neuter of etymos true; akin to Greek eteos true — more at sooth
1.
a. : the original form of a word either in the same language or in an ancestral language
b. : the word in a foreign language that is the source of a particular loanword
the etymon of English cantata is Italian cantata
2. : the literal meaning of a word according to its origin
3. : a word or morpheme from which words are formed by composition or derivation