Where does “arcane” come from?
Arcane comes from Latin arcanus, derived from Latin arca meaning chest or box, from Proto-Italic arkeō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂erk- meaning to enclose or confine.
arcane (English): Understood by only a few; Obscure, mysterious;...
Definitions
- Understood by only a few; Obscure, mysterious;...
Ancestry of “arcane”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | arcānus | — |
| 2 | Latin | arca | chest, box, coffer, safe; coffin; ark |
| 3 | Latin | arceo | I shut up, enclose; box in; I keep off, ward off;... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | arkeō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂erk- | to protect, guard, hold, lock |
Words derived from “arcane”