'decibel' originates from the Latin word 'decimus,' meaning 'tenth,' and the unit 'bel,' named after Alexander Graham Bell.

'decibel' was derived from the term 'bel,' which was used in the early 20th century to measure sound intensity, and eventually became the modern English word 'decibel.'

Initially, it was used to measure sound intensity, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.