Where does “animalculous” come from?
animalculous (English) comes from English ous, from English ou, from Afrikaans ou, from Dutch oud, from Middle Dutch out, from Old Dutch ald, from Proto-West Germanic ald, from Proto-Germanic aldaz — to grow, nourish.
animalculous (English): Relating to animalcules
Definitions
- Relating to animalcules
Ancestry of “animalculous”, step by step
animalculous traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ous
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ous | plural of ou |
| 2 | English | ou | A probably extinct species of Hawaiian... |
| 3 | Afrikaans | ou | An old fellow, guy, bloke; attributive form of... |
| 4 | Dutch | oud | old |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | out | old |
| 6 | Old Dutch | ald | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | ald | old |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | aldaz | old, grown up |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eltós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | to grow, nourish |
via English animalcule
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | animalcule | A small animal; A microscopic aquatic animal or... |
| 2 | Latin | animalculum | animalcule |
| 3 | Latin | animal | animal; living creature |
| 4 | Latin | animālis | animate, living |
| 5 | Latin | anima | soul, spirit, life; air, breeze; breath |
| 6 | Latin | animus | That life-giving aspect which animates: life... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | anamos | breath; spirit, soul, life force |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁mos | breath |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁- | to breathe |