Where does “alveolus” come from?

Alveolus comes from Latin alveolus, derived from Latin alveus meaning "trough" or "channel," itself from Latin alvus meaning "belly" or "abdomen," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- meaning "to grind" or "to mill."

alveolus (English): A small cavity or pit; An anatomical structure...

Definitions

  1. A small cavity or pit; An anatomical structure...

Ancestry of “alveolus”, step by step

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

Words derived from “alveolus

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