Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “basilisk” come from?

basilisk (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch basilisc, from Latin basiliscus, from Ancient Greek βασιλίσκος, from Ancient Greek βασιλεύς, from Proto-Hellenic gʷatiléus — chief; king.

basilisk (Dutch): a basilisk; a basilisk, a tree-dwelling type of...

Definitions

  1. a basilisk; a basilisk, a tree-dwelling type of...

Ancestry of “basilisk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchbasilisc—
2Latinbasiliscusa basilisk or cockatrice
3Ancient Greekβασιλίσκοςprincelet, chieftain; basilisk, kind of serpent;...
4Ancient Greekβασιλεύςchief, master; king, lord, patron
5Proto-Hellenicgʷatiléuschief; king
Every word from Proto-Hellenic gʷatiléus →