Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ambi-” come from?

ambi- (English) comes from Latin ambō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.

ambi- (English): Both; on both sides

Definitions

  1. Both; on both sides

Ancestry of “ambi-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinambō—
2Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “ambi-”

  • ambipolar
  • ambages
  • ambisyllabic
  • ambisense
  • ambisexual
  • ambilineal
  • ambigram
  • ambisyllabicity
  • ambisexuality
  • ambitransitive
  • ambisonics
  • ambipolarity
  • ambiphilic
  • ambilateral
  • ambilocal
  • ambisinistrous
  • circumambages
  • ambiphilicity
  • ambisexually
  • ambifix
  • ambitwistor
  • ambisyllabically
  • ambitoric
  • ambitransitivity
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →