M

M

Letter / Symbol / Abbreviation · /ɛm/

Definition

The thirteenth letter of the English alphabet; as a Roman numeral, M equals 1000; as an abbreviation, M can stand for metre, mile, million, motorway, or male; as a prefix in chemistry and physics, M denotes mega (10⁶); in music, M denotes major; in the NATO phonetic alphabet, the letter M is represented by Mike.

Origin

Descends from the Phoenician letter mem (water), through Greek mu (Μ μ), to Latin M. The Phoenician mem depicted water — the shape of the letter in its oldest form resembling waves. The Greek mu and the Latin M both preserve the sound of the Phoenician letter. M has been a letter in the Roman alphabet since ancient times.