Where does “Miocene” come from?
Miocene derives from Ancient Greek μείων meaning "less" and the Proto-Indo-European root mey-, referring to the geological epoch with fewer large mammals than the preceding Pliocene.
Miocene (English): Of a geologic epoch within the Neogene period...
Definitions
- Of a geologic epoch within the Neogene period...
Ancestry of “Miocene”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | μείων | less; smaller |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |