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Origin and history of total

total(adj.)

"complete in extent or degree, lacking no member or part; entire," late 14c., from Old French total (14c.), from Medieval Latin totalis "entire, total" (as in summa totalis "sum total"), from Latin totus "all, all at once, the whole, entire, altogether," a word of unknown origin.

Total war is attested from 1937 (William Shirer), in reference to a concept developed in Germany.

total(n.)

"the whole amount, sum, an aggregate," mid-15c., from total (adj.).

total(v.)

1716, "bring to a total," from total (n.). The intransitive sense "reach a total of, amount to" is from 1859. The meaning "destroy one's car" (so that the insurer declares it a total loss) is recorded by 1954. Related: Totaled; totaling. In the sense of "make into a total" Coleridge has totalize (1818).

also from 1716

Entries linking to total

factotum(n.)

"one who does all kinds of work for another," 1560s, from Medieval Latin factotum "do everything," from fac, imperative of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put") + totum "all" (see total (adj.)).

in totidem verbis

Latin phrase, "in just so many words," that is, "in these very words," from demonstrative of Latin totus "whole, entire" (see total (adj.)) + ablative plural of verbum "word" (see verb).

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teetotal
"pledged to total abstinence from intoxicating drink," 1834, a word possibly formed from total (adj.) with a reduplication of the initial T- for emphasis (T-totally "totally," though not in an abstinence sense, is recorded in Kentucky dialect from 1832 and is possibly older in Ir
number
c. 1300, "sum, aggregate of a collection," from Anglo-French noumbre, Old French nombre and directly from Latin numerus "a number, quantity," from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take." The meaning "written symbol or figure of arithmetic value" is from late 14c. The meaning "singl
come
elementary intransitive verb of motion, Old English cuman "to move with the purpose of reaching, or so as to reach, some point; to arrive by movement or progression;" also "move into view, appear, become perceptible; come to oneself, recover; arrive; assemble" (class IV strong ve
sum
c. 1300, summe, "quantity or amount of money," from Anglo-French and Old French summe, somme "amount, total; collection;...The sense development from "highest" to "total number, the whole" probably is via the Roman custom of adding up a stack of...General sense of "numerical quantity" of anything, "a total number" is from late 14c....Sum-total is attested from late 14c., from Medieval Latin summa totalis....
deduct
In settling a mercantile account, certain items, as charges, losses, etc. are deducted by being added together and their total...subtracted from the grand total of the transaction....
count
early 14c., "a counting, a calculation," also "an account of money or property;" late 15c., "the total number, the total...
pachy-
"total;" Old Norse bingr "heap," Old High German bungo "a bulb;" Latvian biezs "thick")....
make
Old English macian "to give being to, give form or character to, bring into existence; construct, do, be the author of, produce; prepare, arrange, cause; behave, fare, transform," from West Germanic *makōjanan "to fashion, fit" (source also of Old Saxon makon, Old Frisian makia "
average
late 15c., "any small charge over freight cost, payable by owners of goods to the master of a ship for his care of the goods," also "financial loss incurred through damage to goods in transit," from French avarie "damage to ship," and Italian avaria. A word from 12c. Mediterranea
damage
c. 1300, "harm, injury; hurt or loss to person, character, or estate," from Old French damage, domage  "loss caused by injury" (12c., Modern French dommage), from dam "damage," from Latin damnum "loss, hurt, damage" (see damn). In law (as damages) "the value in money of what

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