Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “auxiliary” come from?

Auxiliary comes from Latin auxiliarius, formed from augeo meaning to increase, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ewg- meaning to grow or increase.

auxiliary (English): Helping; giving assistance or support;...

Definitions

  1. Helping; giving assistance or support;...

Ancestry of “auxiliary”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinauxiliārius—
2Latinauxiliumhelp, aid; antidote, remedy
3Proto-Italicaugeōto increase; to enlarge
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂owg-éye-ti—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ewg-to increase, to enlarge
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂weg-to increase, to enlarge
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ug-—

Words derived from “auxiliary”

  • semiauxiliary
  • nonauxiliary
  • auxiliarily
  • electroauxiliary
  • aux
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ug- →