etymon
noun /ˈetɪmɒn/
/ˈetɪmɑːn/
(plural etymons, etyma
(linguistics) /ˈetɪmə/
/ˈetɪmə/
)- a word or part of a word from which another word comesWord Originlate 16th cent. (denoting the original form of a word): via Latin from Greek etumon ‘true thing’, neuter singular of etumos ‘true’.