normal
The origin and history of normal.
Etymology
From Latin "normalis," meaning "made according to a carpenter's square," and later "according to a rule." The modern sense of "usual" or "healthy" developed in the 1800s as scientists began measuring things like height and blood pressure and calling the common values "normal."
Class of 1800
normal first entered the language around 1800. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1800 →