Where does “Cygnus” come from?
Cygnus comes from Latin cygnus, from Ancient Greek κύκνος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱewk-, a root of uncertain origin and meaning.
Ancestry of “Cygnus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | Cygnus | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | Κύκνος | — |
| 3 | Latin | olor | swan; A smell |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Τιτάν | Titan |
| 5 | Translingual | -therium | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | θηρίον | wild animal, beast, savage beast; a small animal,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | θήρ | a wild beast, beast of prey, especially a lion;... |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | kʷʰḗr | wild beast |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰwer- | wild; wild animal |