Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “biota” come from?

Biota comes from Ancient Greek βίος, derived from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, which traces to Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w-.

biota (English): The living organisms of a region; Platycladus...

Definitions

  1. The living organisms of a region; Platycladus...

Ancestry of “biota”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekβίοςlife
2Ancient GreekΓένεσις—
3Proto-Hellenicgénetisorigin, source
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁tisbirth, production
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “biota”

  • microbiota
  • epibiota
  • macrobiota
  • mycobiota
  • xenomicrobiota
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →