Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-zoic” come from?

-zoic (English) comes from Ancient Greek ζωϊκός, from Ancient Greek ζῷον, from Proto-Hellenic ďṓyyon, from Proto-Hellenic gʷyōwyon, from Proto-Indo-European gʷyeh₃w-y-om, from Proto-Indo-European gʷíh₃weti, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- — to live.

-zoic (English): Relating to some specified form of animal...

Definitions

  1. Relating to some specified form of animal...

Ancestry of “-zoic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekζωϊκός—
2Ancient Greekζῷονanimal, beast; form, image
3Proto-Hellenicďṓyyonanimal, creature, beast
4Proto-Hellenicgʷyōwyon—
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷyeh₃w-y-om—
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʷíh₃wetito live, to be alive
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʷih₃wósalive, living
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʷeih₃w-to live

Words derived from “-zoic”

  • Paleozoic
  • Mesozoic
  • Cenozoic
  • Proterozoic
  • Neoproterozoic
  • Paleoproterozoic
  • Mesoproterozoic
  • azoic
  • Archeozoic
  • holozoic
  • saprozoic
  • epizoic
  • Cryptozoic
  • Archaeozoic
  • Anthropozoic
  • ectozoic
  • hypozoic
  • -cene
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- →