Where does “Cenozoic” come from?
Cenozoic derives from Ancient Greek καινός and ζῷον, combined to mean "new life," tracing back through Proto-Indo-European kn̥-yós, ken-, gʷyeh₃w-y-om, gʷeyh₃-, and gʷih₃wós.
Cenozoic (English): Of or pertaining to the Cenozoic era
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to the Cenozoic era
Ancestry of “Cenozoic”, step by step
Cenozoic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Ancient Greek καινός
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | καινός | new, novel, recent; fresh, unused; strange,... |
| 2 | Proto-Hellenic | kəňňós | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | kn̥-yós | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ken- | to arise, begin |
via French cenozoïque
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | cenozoïque | — |