Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Caligula” come from?

Caligula is the diminutive form of Latin caliga, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European -lós, a suffix forming agent nouns.

Ancestry of “Caligula”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinCaligula—
2LatincaligaLeather shoe or boot; second-person singular...
3Latin-ularegō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;...
4Proto-Indo-European-tlomAlternative form of *-trom
5Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
6Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

Words derived from “Caligula”

  • Caligulan
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr →