meta

See also: Meta, META, méta, metá, metà, mêta, metą, mẹta, meta-, méta-, and мета

English

Etymology 1

From meta-, back-formed from metaphysics.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtə/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtə/, [ˈmɛɾə]
• Rhymes: -ɛtə

Adjective

meta (comparative more meta, superlative most meta)

2. (informal) Self-referential; structured analogously (structured by relationships), but at a higher level.

   Suppose you have a genie that grants you three wishes. If you wish for infinite wishes, that is a meta wish.

   • 2002, Robert C. Neville, Religion in Late Modernity‎^[1], →ISBN, page 31:

     […] in finessing obligations you fail a "meta" kind of obligation.

   • 2006, Brendan Vaughan, What Would MacGyver Do?‎^[2], →ISBN, page 186:

     Besides, I can just hear Vaughan: "Very funny, Stacey, very Charlie Kaufman-esque, very meta, very '97. I can't use it."

Translations

self-referential

• French: méta (fr)
• Hungarian: meta (hu)

See also

• transcendental
• self-aware

Etymology 2

From Latin mēta.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmiːtə/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmiːtə/, [ˈmiːɾə]
• Rhymes: -iːtə

Noun

meta (plural metas or metae)

1. Boundary marker.
2. (historical) Either of the conical columns at each end of an Ancient Roman circus.

Etymology 3

Clipping of metagame. Folk etymology also suggests an initialism of most efficient tactic available.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtə/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtə/, [ˈmɛɾə]
• Rhymes: -ɛtə

Noun

meta (plural metas)

1. (video games) Metagame; the most effective tactics and strategies used in a competitive video game in a given period of time.

   I don't think the character will be part of the meta even with the recent buffs.

2. (by extension, Internet slang) An informal but widely adopted practice in a given field; a de facto standard.

   Each video sharing platform's community has a meta on how long videos should be.

Adjective

meta (comparative more meta, superlative most meta)

1. (video games) Prominent in the metagame; effective and frequently used in competitive gameplay.

   I don't think the character will be meta even with the recent buffs.

Etymology 4

Clipping of metaoidioplasty.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtə/, [ˈmɛɾə]
• Rhymes: -ɛtə

Noun

meta (plural metas)

1. (informal) Metoidioplasty.

Anagrams

• AEMT, ATEM, Atem, Tame, Team, Tema, mate, maté, meat, tame, team

Basque

Noun

meta inan

1. heap

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin mēta.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /ˈmə.tə/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.tə/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ta/

Noun

meta f (plural metes)

1. (sports) finish line
2. (sports) goal, goalpost
3. goal, aim, objective

Synonyms

• (goal): porteria
• (objective): fi, objectiu

Further reading

• “meta” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛta]
• Rhymes: -ɛta
• Hyphenation: me‧ta

Etymology 1

Derived from Latin mēta.

Noun

meta f

1. frontier, goal, objective, ambition

   Synonym: cíl

2. (softball, baseball) base

Declension

Declension of meta

	singular	plural
nominative	meta	mety
genitive	mety	met
dative	metě	metám
accusative	metu	mety
vocative	meto	mety
locative	metě	metách
instrumental	metou	metami

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

meta

1. masculine singular present transgressive of mést

Further reading

• meta in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• meta in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse meta, from Proto-Germanic *metaną, from Proto-Indo-European *med-.

Verb

meta (third person singular past indicative metti or metaði, third person plural past indicative mett or metað, supine mett or metað)

1. to measure, esteem, consider

Conjugation

Conjugation of meta (group v-2-30)
infinitive	meta
supine	mett/ metað
participle (a5/a6)1	metandi	mettur/ metaður
	present	past
first singular	meti	metti/ metaði
second singular	metir/ metar	metti/ metaði
third singular	metir/ metar	metti/ metaði
plural	meta	mettu/ metaðu
	imperative
singular	met/ meta!
plural	metið!
1Only the past participle being declined.

Finnish

Etymology

Clipping of metamfetamiini

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmetɑ/, [ˈme̞t̪ɑ]
• Rhymes: -etɑ
• Syllabification^(key): me‧ta

Noun

meta

1. (colloquial) meth, methamphetamine

Declension

Inflection of meta (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		meta	metat
genitive		metan	metojen
partitive		metaa	metoja
illative		metaan	metoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		meta	metat
accusative	nom.	meta	metat
	gen.	metan
genitive		metan	metojen metainrare
partitive		metaa	metoja
inessive		metassa	metoissa
elative		metasta	metoista
illative		metaan	metoihin
adessive		metalla	metoilla
ablative		metalta	metoilta
allative		metalle	metoille
essive		metana	metoina
translative		metaksi	metoiksi
instructive		—	metoin
abessive		metatta	metoitta
comitative		—	metoineen

Possessive forms of meta (type kala)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	metani	metamme
2nd person	metasi	metanne
3rd person	metansa

Hungarian

Etymology

From English meta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛtɒ]
• Hyphenation: me‧ta

Adjective

meta (comparative metább, superlative legmetább)

1. (informal) meta (self-referential)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	meta	meták
accusative	metát	metákat
dative	metának	metáknak
instrumental	metával	metákkal
causal-final	metáért	metákért
translative	metává	metákká
terminative	metáig	metákig
essive-formal	metaként	metákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	metában	metákban
superessive	metán	metákon
adessive	metánál	metáknál
illative	metába	metákba
sublative	metára	metákra
allative	metához	metákhoz
elative	metából	metákból
delative	metáról	metákról
ablative	metától	metáktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	metáé	metáké
non-attributive possessive - plural	metáéi	metákéi

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛːta/

  Rhymes: -ɛːta

Etymology 1

From Old Norse meta, from Proto-Germanic *metaną.

Verb

meta (strong verb, third-person singular past indicative mat, third-person plural past indicative mátu, supine metið)

1. to measure
2. to assess
3. to appreciate, to esteem, to consider to be of worth

Conjugation

meta — active voice (germynd)

infinitive (nafnháttur)		að meta
supine (sagnbót)		metið
present participle (lýsingarháttur nútíðar)		metandi
	indicative (framsöguháttur)			subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur)
present (nútíð)	ég met	við metum	present (nútíð)	ég meti	við metum
	þú metur	þið metið		þú metir	þið metið
	hann, hún, það metur	þeir, þær, þau meta		hann, hún, það meti	þeir, þær, þau meti
past (þátíð)	ég mat	við mátum	past (þátíð)	ég mæti	við mætum
	þú mast	þið mátuð		þú mætir	þið mætuð
	hann, hún, það mat	þeir, þær, þau mátu		hann, hún, það mæti	þeir, þær, þau mætu
imperative (boðháttur)	met (þú)	metið (þið)
	Forms with appended personal pronoun
	mettu	metiði *
* Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

metast — mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive (nafnháttur)		að metast
supine (sagnbót)		metist
present participle (lýsingarháttur nútíðar)		metandist ** ** the mediopassive present participle is extremely rare and normally not used; it is never used attributively or predicatively, only for explicatory subclauses
	indicative (framsöguháttur)			subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur)
present (nútíð)	ég mest	við metumst	present (nútíð)	ég metist	við metumst
	þú mest	þið metist		þú metist	þið metist
	hann, hún, það mest	þeir, þær, þau metast		hann, hún, það metist	þeir, þær, þau metist
past (þátíð)	ég mast	við mátumst	past (þátíð)	ég mætist	við mætumst
	þú mast	þið mátust		þú mætist	þið mætust
	hann, hún, það mast	þeir, þær, þau mátust		hann, hún, það mætist	þeir, þær, þau mætust
imperative (boðháttur)	mest (þú)	metist (þið)
	Forms with appended personal pronoun
	mestu	metisti *
* Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

metinn — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)				plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)		masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	metinn	metin	metið		metnir	metnar	metin
accusative (þolfall)	metinn	metna	metið		metna	metnar	metin
dative (þágufall)	metnum	metinni	metnu		metnum	metnum	metnum
genitive (eignarfall)	metins	metinnar	metins		metinna	metinna	metinna
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)				plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)		masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	metni	metna	metna		metnu	metnu	metnu
accusative (þolfall)	metna	metnu	metna		metnu	metnu	metnu
dative (þágufall)	metna	metnu	metna		metnu	metnu	metnu
genitive (eignarfall)	metna	metnu	metna		metnu	metnu	metnu

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

meta

1. indefinite genitive plural of met

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• menta

Etymology

From Sanskrit मत्त (matta, “mad, drunken”). Compare to Balinese ᬫᬢ᭄ᬢ (mata, “furious”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /abonəmɛn/
• Hyphenation: mê‧ta

Adjective

mêta

1. (obsolete) mad

   Synonym: mengamuk

2. (obsolete) drunken

   Synonym: mabuk

Further reading

• “meta” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin mēta. Doublet of meda.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.ta/
• Rhymes: -ɛta
• Syllabification: mè‧ta

Noun

meta f (plural mete)

1. destination

   Synonyms: arrivo, destinazione

2. (figurative) aim, goal, end

   Synonyms: scopo, intenzione, fine

3. (sports) a score
   1. (rugby) try
   2. (soccer) goal
   3. (ultimate frisbee) point
4. (Ancient Rome) meta (either of the conical columns at each end of a Roman circus)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈme.ta/
• Rhymes: -eta
• Syllabification: mé‧ta

Noun

meta f (plural mete)

1. pile of straw

   Synonym: mucchio

2. haystack
3. dung (of a farm animal)

   Synonym: sterco

Descendants

• → Serbo-Croatian: méta

Etymology 3

Clipping of metaldeide.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.ta/
• Rhymes: -ɛta
• Syllabification: mè‧ta

Noun

meta m (invariable)

1. (organic chemistry) metaldehyde

Anagrams

• mate, matè, team, tema

Kazukuru

Alternative forms

• mata

Noun

meta

1. eye

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *mētā, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- (“to measure”), whence mētior, with which compare the derived mētor.

Cognate with Ancient Greek μῆτις (mêtis), μέτρον (métron), μέτριος (métrios), Old Church Slavonic мѣра (měra); compare also Hungarian mér, Russian ме́ра (méra), Serbo-Croatian mera and mjera, English meal.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmeː.ta/, [ˈmeːt̪ä]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ta/, [ˈmɛːt̪ä]
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmeː.taː/, [ˈmeːt̪äː]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ta/, [ˈmɛːt̪ä]

Noun

mēta f (genitive mētae); first declension

1. cone, pyramid
2. turning point, winning post (pillar at each end of the Circus route)
3. boundary limit
4. (figuratively) goal, end, limit, turning point
   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 1.278:

     “Hīs ego nec mētās rērum nec tempora pōnō.”

     “For them, I set no turning points of history, nor time limits.”
     (Jupiter reassures Venus that he has granted limitless prospects to the Roman people.)

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	mēta	mētae
Genitive	mētae	mētārum
Dative	mētae	mētīs
Accusative	mētam	mētās
Ablative	mētā	mētīs
Vocative	mēta	mētae

Derived terms

• mētor

Related terms

• mētior

Descendants

• Italian: meda
• Old French: mete
  • → Middle English: mete
    • English: mete
• Old Galician-Portuguese: meda
  • Galician: meda
  • Portuguese: meda
• Spanish: meda
• Borrowings:
  • → Belarusian: мэта (meta)
  • → Catalan: meta
  • → Czech: meta
  • → Dutch: meet
  • → English: meta
  • → Italian: meta
    • → Serbo-Croatian: méta
  • → Polish: meta
    • → Ukrainian: мета́ (metá)
  • → Portuguese: meta
  • → Russian: мета (meta)
  • → Slovak: méta
  • → Spanish: meta

Latvian

Verb

meta

1. 3rd person singular past indicative form of mest
2. 3rd person plural past indicative form of mest

Lithuanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmʲæːt̪ɐ]

Verb

mẽta

1. third-person singular present of mesti
2. third-person plural present of mesti

Maltese

Alternative forms

• mita (dialectal)

Etymology

From Arabic مَتَى‎ (matā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.ta/

Adverb

meta

1. when

Conjunction

meta

1. when; as

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *metaną (“to measure”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med-.

Verb

meta (singular past indicative mat, plural past indicative mátu, past participle metinn)

1. (transitive) to estimate, value
2. (reflexive, til e-s) to be reckoned as, counted for

Conjugation

Conjugation of meta — active (strong class 5)

infinitive	meta
present participle	metandi
past participle	metinn
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	met	mat
2nd-person singular	metr	mazt
3rd-person singular	metr	mat
1st-person plural	metum	mátum
2nd-person plural	metið	mátuð
3rd-person plural	meta	mátu
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	meta	mæta
2nd-person singular	metir	mætir
3rd-person singular	meti	mæti
1st-person plural	metim	mætim
2nd-person plural	metið	mætið
3rd-person plural	meti	mæti
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	met
1st-person plural	metum
2nd-person plural	metið

Conjugation of meta — mediopassive (strong class 5)

infinitive	metask
present participle	metandisk
past participle	metizk
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	metumk	mátumk
2nd-person singular	mezk	mazk
3rd-person singular	mezk	mazk
1st-person plural	metumsk	mátumsk
2nd-person plural	metizk	mátuzk
3rd-person plural	metask	mátusk
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	metumk	mætumk
2nd-person singular	metisk	mætisk
3rd-person singular	metisk	mætisk
1st-person plural	metimsk	mætimsk
2nd-person plural	metizk	mætizk
3rd-person plural	metisk	mætisk
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	mezk
1st-person plural	metumsk
2nd-person plural	metizk

Related terms

• mjǫtuðr
• mætr

References

• “meta”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mēta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.ta/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛta
• Syllabification: me‧ta

Noun

meta f

1. (sports) finish line, winning post

   Był tak wyczerpany, że ledwo dobiegł do mety. ― He was so tired that he hardly reached the finish line.

2. goal, end
3. range, distance
4. (colloquial) familiar store or restaurant
5. (colloquial) a place where one can stay for a short while
6. (colloquial) a place where alcohol is illegally sold or drunk
7. (bodybuilding slang) methandrostenolone, an anabolic steroid

Declension

Declension of meta

	singular	plural
nominative	meta	mety
genitive	mety	met
dative	mecie	metom
accusative	metę	mety
instrumental	metą	metami
locative	mecie	metach
vocative	meto	mety

Descendants

• → Ukrainian: мета́ (metá)

Further reading

• meta in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• meta in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin mēta (“turning spot in arena; goal”). Doublet of meda.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.tɐ/

• Rhymes: -ɛtɐ
• Hyphenation: me‧ta

Noun

meta f (plural metas)

1. goal
2. target

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Alternative forms

• mêta (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈme.tɐ/

• Rhymes: -etɐ
• Hyphenation: me‧ta

Verb

meta

1. inflection of meter:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian meta, from Latin mēta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /měːta/
• Hyphenation: me‧ta

Noun

méta f (Cyrillic spelling ме́та)

1. target

Declension

Declension of meta

	singular	plural
nominative	meta	mete
genitive	mete	meta
dative	meti	metama
accusative	metu	mete
vocative	meto	mete
locative	meti	metama
instrumental	metom	metama

Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *męta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /méːta/

Noun

mẹ̑ta f

1. mint (plant)

Inflection

Feminine, a-stem
nom. sing.	méta
gen. sing.	méte
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	méta	méti	méte
genitive (rodȋlnik)	méte	mét	mét
dative (dajȃlnik)	méti	métama	métam
accusative (tožȋlnik)	méto	méti	méte
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	méti	métah	métah
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	méto	métama	métami

Further reading

• “meta”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeta/ [ˈme.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -eta
• Syllabification: me‧ta

Etymology 1

From Latin meta (“turning spot in arena; goal”).

Noun

meta f (plural metas)

1. goal
2. target

Derived terms

• línea de meta
• saque de meta

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

meta

1. inflection of meter:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “meta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Noun

meta (n class, plural meta)

1. Alternative form of mita

Swedish

Etymology

Probably inherited from Proto-Germanic *maitaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeːˌta/

Verb

meta (present metar, preterite metade, supine metat, imperative meta)

1. to angle for fish

Conjugation

Conjugation of meta (weak)

	Active		Passive
Infinitive	meta		metas
Supine	metat		metats
Imperative	meta		—
Imper. plural1	meten		—
	Present	Past	Present	Past
Indicative	metar	metade	metas	metades
Ind. plural1	meta	metade	metas	metades
Subjunctive2	mete	metade	metes	metades
	Participles
Present participle	metande
Past participle	metad
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Related terms

• metare
• metspö

References

• meta in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• meta in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• meta in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• meta in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Anagrams

• tame, team, tema

Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish متاع‎ (mataʿ, “any organ or article of enjoyment, possession, or commerce”), from Arabic مَتَاع‎ (matāʕ, “property, possessions”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meˈtaː/
• Hyphenation: me‧ta

Noun

meta (definite accusative metayı, plural metalar)

1. Commercial goods, merchandise.

   Synonyms: mal, mülk

2. (business) capital

   Synonyms: sermaye, anapara

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	meta
Definite accusative	metayı
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	meta	metalar
Definite accusative	metayı	metaları
Dative	metaya	metalara
Locative	metada	metalarda
Ablative	metadan	metalardan
Genitive	metanın	metaların
Possessive forms Nominative Singular Plural 1st singular metam metalarım 2nd singular metan metaların 3rd singular metası metaları 1st plural metamız metalarımız 2nd plural metanız metalarınız 3rd plural metaları metaları Definite accusative Singular Plural 1st singular metamı metalarımı 2nd singular metanı metalarını 3rd singular metasını metalarını 1st plural metamızı metalarımızı 2nd plural metanızı metalarınızı 3rd plural metalarını metalarını Dative Singular Plural 1st singular metama metalarıma 2nd singular metana metalarına 3rd singular metasına metalarına 1st plural metamıza metalarımıza 2nd plural metanıza metalarınıza 3rd plural metalarına metalarına Locative Singular Plural 1st singular metamda metalarımda 2nd singular metanda metalarında 3rd singular metasında metalarında 1st plural metamızda metalarımızda 2nd plural metanızda metalarınızda 3rd plural metalarında metalarında Ablative Singular Plural 1st singular metamdan metalarımdan 2nd singular metandan metalarından 3rd singular metasından metalarından 1st plural metamızdan metalarımızdan 2nd plural metanızdan metalarınızdan 3rd plural metalarından metalarından Genitive Singular Plural 1st singular metamın metalarımın 2nd singular metanın metalarının 3rd singular metasının metalarının 1st plural metamızın metalarımızın 2nd plural metanızın metalarınızın 3rd plural metalarının metalarının

Derived terms

• emtia
• matah

 

Related terms

• iş
• takas
• ticaret

 

Further reading

• meta in Turkish dictionaries at Türk Dil Kurumu
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “meta²”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 3172

Westrobothnian

Etymology

From Old Norse *mita, meta, from Proto-Germanic *metaną, from Proto-Indo-European *med-.

Verb

meta

1. (transitive) To measure.

   Synonym: måhl

Derived terms

• meta dell (“to measure, to approximate”)
• meta sjwaln (“stride”)
• meta ti (“to fill something (with something)”)

 

Related terms

• met
• mot
• mått