Where does “alveolar” come from?

Alveolar derives from Latin alveolaris, formed from alveolus meaning small cavity, from alveus meaning trough or channel, from alvus meaning belly, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂el-.

alveolar (English): Of or relating to an alveolus; Relating to the...

Definitions

  1. Of or relating to an alveolus; Relating to the...

Ancestry of “alveolar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishalveolusA small cavity or pit; An anatomical structure...
2Latinalveolussmall hollow or cavity; tray, trough, basin;...
3Latin-olusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming diminutives";...
4Latin-lusAlternative form of -ulus; diminutive suffix
5Proto-Italic-elosForms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns
6Proto-Indo-European-e-lós
7Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “alveolar

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lósEvery word from Latin -lusEvery word from Latin -olus