Where does “spelonk” come from?

spelonk (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch spelonke, from Old French spelonque, from Italian spelonca, from Latin spēlunca, from Ancient Greek σπῆλυγξ, from Ancient Greek σπέος — cave, cavern, grotto.

spelonk (Dutch): grotto; bad, dank, poorly-lit housing

Definitions

  1. grotto; bad, dank, poorly-lit housing

Ancestry of “spelonk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchspelonke—
2Old Frenchspelonque—
3Italianspeloncacave, cavern; hovel
4Latinspēluncacave; cavern; chasm
5Ancient Greekσπῆλυγξcave
6Ancient Greekσπέοςcave, cavern, grotto

Words derived from “spelonk”

Every word from Ancient Greek σπέος →Every word from Ancient Greek σπῆλυγξ →Every word from Latin spēlunca →