Where does “bacterium” come from?
bacterium (Dutch) comes from New Latin bactērium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον, from Ancient Greek βακτηρία, from Proto-Indo-European baḱ- — club, pointed stick, peg; pointed stick, peg.
Ancestry of “bacterium”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | New Latin | bactērium | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | βακτήριον | Synonym of βακτηρία |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | βακτηρία | rod, staff, cane; baton |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | baḱ- | club, pointed stick, peg; pointed stick, peg |
Words derived from “bacterium”