Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Paleozoic” come from?

Paleozoic comes from Ancient Greek παλαιός meaning old and ζῷον meaning animal, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷeyh₃- meaning to live.

Paleozoic (English): Of a geologic era within the Phanerozoic eon that...

Definitions

  1. Of a geologic era within the Phanerozoic eon that...

Ancestry of “Paleozoic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishzoicShowing traces of life; containing organic...
2Ancient Greekζωϊκός—
3Ancient Greekζῷονanimal, beast; form, image
4Proto-Hellenicďṓyyonanimal, creature, beast
5Proto-Hellenicgʷyōwyon—
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʷyeh₃w-y-om—
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʷíh₃wetito live, to be alive
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʷih₃wósalive, living
9Proto-Indo-Europeangʷeih₃w-to live
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- →