Exam Comes From the Pointer on a Balance
An exam is a formal test of knowledge. The Latin root named the needle that weighs a thing precisely.
An exam is a formal test of knowledge or ability, short for *examination*. Latin *examen* meant the tongue or pointer of a balance, the needle that shows whether the scales are level; to examine was to weigh something exactly. Every exam is still a weighing. Written examinations for public office began in imperial China, where candidates sat in sealed cells for days, and European universities adopted similar systems much later.
- A formal test. *A final exam.*
- A medical check. *A physical exam.*
- To examine. *Examine the evidence.*
- Examination — the full word. *An examination.*
- Latin — *examen*, a balance pointer. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | exam | An exam. |
| Plural | exams | Exams. |
| Full form | examination | An examination. |
| Verb | examine | Examining. |
| Latin | examen | A balance pointer. |
- She passed the exam easily.Test.
- The doctor did an exam.Medicine.
- Examen means a balance pointer.Etymology.
The imperial Chinese examinations
- Candidates were tested on classical texts and composition
- Sealed cells held them for days at a time
- Papers were copied out by clerks so handwriting could not identify anyone
- Success brought office regardless of birth, at least in principle
- The system ran for roughly thirteen centuries before ending in 1905
Short for *examination*, from Latin *examinare*, to weigh, from *examen*, the pointer of a balance.
How does a balance give us exam?
Latin examen was the pointer showing whether scales were level. To examine was to weigh precisely, and the word moved to testing knowledge.
Where did written exams begin?
In imperial China, where candidates for office sat sealed examinations that ran for roughly thirteen centuries until 1905.