pentathlon
pen-TATH-lon · noun
Ancient GreekEnglish
Origin
Borrowed from Ancient Greek πένταθλον (péntathlon), a fusion of πέντε (pénte, “five”) and ἆθλον (âthlon, “contest”). Its structure is transparent: five contests, bundled into one word.
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Journey
The Greek term already named a five-event contest, and English simply borrowed it whole.
Related words
The second half, ἆθλον (âthlon, “contest”), is also the root behind English 'athlete' and 'athletic', words for those who compete.
More words
Nearby, A–Z