Where does “pygmee” come from?
pygmee (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch pigmene, from Latin Pygmaei, from Ancient Greek πυγμαῖος, from Ancient Greek -αῖος, from Ancient Greek -ῐος, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
pygmee (Dutch): a pygmy member of an African tribe of short people
Definitions
- a pygmy member of an African tribe of short people
Ancestry of “pygmee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | pigmene | — |
| 2 | Latin | Pygmaei | a mythical race of pygmies |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πυγμαῖος | mythical dwarf; a member of a race of dwarves |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -αῖος | Suffix added to nouns or adjectives, forming adjectives: pertaining to, belonging to ("of") |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ῐος | belonging to; of”, “belonging to”, “pertaining to |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |