Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Neanderthal” come from?

Neanderthal comes from German Neanderthal, a valley in western Germany where skeletal remains of an extinct human species were discovered in 1856.

Neanderthal (English): Of or pertaining to "Homo neanderthalensis";...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to "Homo neanderthalensis";...

Ancestry of “Neanderthal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanNeanderthalNeander valley
2Latin-ensisOf or from
3Latinarvumfield; farm land
4Latincolō—
5Latinquelō—
6Proto-Italickʷelō—
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “Neanderthal”

  • ned
  • Neanderthaloid
  • Neanderthalian
  • Neandertal
  • neanderthal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →