Where does “biosecurity” come from?
Biosecurity comes from English secure combined with the Ancient Greek prefix bio- (from βίος, meaning life) and the Latin suffix -itas forming abstract nouns.
biosecurity (English): The protection of plants and animals against harm...
Definitions
- The protection of plants and animals against harm...
Ancestry of “biosecurity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | security | The condition of not being threatened, especially... |
| 2 | English | secure | Free from attack or danger; protected; Free from... |
| 3 | Middle English | securite | security, safety; comfort, the state of being... |
| 4 | Middle French | securité | — |
| 5 | Latin | sēcūritās | security, safety |
| 6 | Latin | sēcūrus | careless, negligent |
| 7 | Latin | sē- | apart-; aside-; away |
| 8 | Latin | sex | six; 6 |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | seks | six |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | swéḱs | six |