Where does “rak” come from?
rak (Czech) comes from Old Czech rak, from Proto-Slavic rakъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic rṓˀkas, from Proto-Indo-European wreh₃kʷos — looking backwards.
rak (Czech): crayfish; cancer
Ancestry of “rak”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Czech | rak | — |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | rakъ | crayfish |
| 3 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | rṓˀkas | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wreh₃kʷos | looking backwards |